Garment side panel conveyor system and method

ABSTRACT

A method for positioning side panels during manufacture of a pant includes positioning the side panels on side panel transfer devices. The side panels move perpendicular to a pant transport plane as the pant is transported in the machine direction and the side panels reside on the side panel transfer devices. The side panels can include refastenable fastening components. The method and apparatus can move the fastening components closer together in the cross-machine direction or maintain the fastening components at a constant cross-machine position while the side panels reside on the side panel transfer devices.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention pertains to processes and apparatus formaking garments, and more particularly to processes and apparatus formaking prefastened and refastenable garments.

[0002] Garments such as disposable absorbent garments have numerousapplications including diapers, training pants, feminine care products,and adult incontinence products. The typical disposable absorbentgarment is formed as a composite structure including an absorbentassembly disposed between a liquid permeable bodyside liner and a liquidimpermeable outer cover. These components can be combined with othermaterials and features such as elastic materials and containmentstructures to form a product that is specifically suited to its intendedpurposes.

[0003] Manufacturing techniques for making conventional garments are insome respects inadequate for making new product forms, such asprefastened and refastenable garments. Hence, what is lacking and neededin the art are processes and apparatus for making prefastened andrefastenable garments, such as disposable absorbent garments.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0004] In response to the above-referenced unfulfilled need in the art,new processes and apparatus for making prefastened and refastenablegarments have been discovered. In one aspect, the invention concerns amethod for positioning side panels during manufacture of a pant. Themethod comprises transporting a pant in a machine direction, thusdefining a pant transport plane and a z-direction perpendicular to thepant transport plane. The pant has at least one waist region comprisingopposite side panels. The side panels are positioned on side paneltransfer devices, where each side panel transfer device defines a sidepanel transport path which intersects the pant transport plane.According to this method, the side panels move in the z-direction whilethe pant is transported in the machine direction and the side panelsreside on the side panel transfer devices.

[0005] The z-direction movement can be useful in many embodiments, butmay be particularly useful where the side panels include fasteningcomponents and it is desired to move the fastening components closertogether in the transverse direction. For instance, the fasteningcomponents can be positioned closer together by creating an elevationdifference between portions of the waist region containing the fasteningcomponents and another portion of the waist region. In particularembodiments, the fastening components can be disposed in the sidepanels, and the absorbent chassis and/or side panels can be repositionedto create an elevation difference between at least a portion of theabsorbent chassis and the side panels.

[0006] Hence, in some embodiments for carrying out the method, at leastportions of the side panels are allowed to move inwardly toward themachine center line while the pant is transported in the machinedirection and the side panels reside on the side panel transfer devices.This inward movement can be useful in preparing the side panels forattachment to the opposite waist region. In other embodiments describedin greater detail below, the side panels can be maintained at a constantcross-machine direction position while the pant is transported in themachine direction and the side panels reside on the side panel transferdevices.

[0007] In another aspect, the invention concerns a method for making aprefastened and refastenable pant. The method comprises transporting afolded pant in a machine direction, where the folded pant has oppositefirst and second waist regions in facing relation. The first waistregion includes first side panels comprising initially inward-facingfastening components and the second waist region includes second sidepanels comprising initially outward-facing fastening components. In thisembodiment, the initially outward-facing fastening components can beinverted. The method further comprises transporting the first sidepanels on side panel transfer devices while the folded pant istransported in the machine direction. While the first side panels arebeing transported on the side panel transfer devices, the initiallyinward-facing fastening components are moved toward the invertedinitially outward-facing fastening components. The initiallyinward-facing fastening components and inverted initially outward-facingfastening components can then be engaged with one another.

[0008] In various embodiments, portions of the first side panels canmove inwardly toward a machine center line while the folded pant istransported in the machine direction and the first side panels reside onthe side panel transfer devices. In particular embodiments, the firstside panels can be moved inwardly such that fastening componentsdisposed on the first side panels are aligned in a cross machinedirection with fastening components disposed on the second side panels.This may be useful where the second side panels are folded during theprocess. For example, the second side panels can comprise initiallyoutward-facing fastening components and the second side panels can beinwardly folded such that the initially outward-facing fasteningcomponents are facing inward toward the first side panels.

[0009] In particular embodiments, the initially inward-facing fasteningcomponents can be separated from one another by an initial distance andthe initially outward-facing fastening components can be separated fromone another by substantially the same initial distance. In the contextof the present invention, the distance between initially inward-facingfastening components and the distance between the initiallyoutward-facing fastening components both refer to the transverse lineardistance between the fastening components. “Transverse linear distance”is used herein to refer to the distance between two fasteningcomponents, measured in a straight line parallel to the transverse axisof the garment without regard to surface contours of the garment. Theremay or may not be any force exerted in the transverse direction at thetime of measurement.

[0010] In another aspect, the invention concerns a method for making apant. The method comprises providing a pant chassis defining a firstwaist region, a second waist region, a crotch region which extendsbetween and interconnects the waist regions, first side panels disposedin the first waist region and second side panels disposed in the secondwaist region. The pant chassis is folded about a fold line extending ina lateral direction through the crotch region, such that the waistregions and first and second side panels are positioned in a facingrelation. The folded pant chassis is transported in a machine directionthus defining a pant transport plane and a z-direction perpendicular tothe pant transport plane. The first side panels are transported on sidepanel transfer devices while the folded pant chassis is transported inthe machine direction. Each side panel transfer device defines a sidepanel transport path which intersects the pant transport plane. Thefirst side panels are moved in the z-direction toward the second sidepanels while the first side panels are transported on the side paneltransfer devices. This allows the first and second side panels to berefastenably engaged.

[0011] In another aspect, the invention concerns an apparatus comprisingfirst and second conveyors adapted to transport a stream of discrete,partially assembled and folded pants sandwiched between the conveyors ina machine direction. The conveyors define a machine center line and apant transport plane. Side panel transfer devices are disposedtransversely outward from the machine center line, and each side paneltransfer device defines a side panel transport path which intersects thepant transport plane.

[0012] The side panel transfer devices can be angled toward the panttransport plane at downstream machine direction locations. In this case,the side panel transfer devices can come together with one of theconveyors to define a nip therebetween. Alternatively, the side paneltransfer devices can be angled away from the pant transport plane atdownstream machine direction locations.

[0013] The processes and apparatus described herein can be useful inmaking a wide variety of garments. The waist regions of such garmentscan have the same transverse width dimensions or have different widthdimension. Moreover, the processes and apparatus can be applied to oneor both waist regions. Accordingly, the term “first waist region” cancorrespond to either the front or the back waist region.

[0014] The garment can be folded in half through the crotch region by avariety of mechanisms. It may be desirable to maintain separation of theside panels and separation of the fastening components while the productis folded in half. The fastening components can be engagedsimultaneously or sequentially with folding of the pant.

[0015] The fastening components can comprise separate elements bonded toanother component of the pant. Alternatively, the fastening componentscan comprise a portion of another element of the pant, such as thebodyside liner, the outer cover, separate side panels if employed,integral side panels if employed, a belt-type component extendingtransversely across the chassis if employed, or the like. Thus, unlessotherwise specified, the term “fastening component” includes bothseparate components which function as fasteners and regions of materialssuch as side panels, liners, outer covers or the like which function asfasteners. Moreover, a single material can define multiple fasteningcomponents to the extent that different regions of the material functionas separate fasteners. The fastening components can be located on theside panels, between the side panels such as on the absorbent chassis,or a combination of the two. The fastening components can have anydesired shape, such as square, rectangular, round, curved, oval,irregularly shaped, or the like. Each fastening component can comprise asingle fastening element or multiple fastening elements.

[0016] The fastening components can comprise any refastenable fastenerssuitable for absorbent articles, such as adhesive fasteners, cohesivefasteners, mechanical fasteners, or the like. In particular embodimentsthe fastening components comprise mechanical fastening elements forimproved performance. Suitable mechanical fastening elements can beprovided by interlocking geometric shaped materials, such as hooks,loops, bulbs, mushrooms, arrowheads, balls on stems, male and femalemating components, buckles, snaps, or the like. In particularembodiments, the fastening components and mating fastening componentscomprise hook-and-loop fastening elements. One skilled in the art willrecognize that the shape, density and polymer composition of the hooksand loops may be selected to obtain the desired level of securementbetween the fastening components and the mating fastening components. Amore aggressive hook material may comprise a material with a greateraverage hook height, a greater percentage of directionally-alignedhooks, or a more aggressive hook shape.

[0017] A refastenable fastening system allows for easy inspection of theinterior of the pant-like product. If necessary, the fastening systemalso allows the pant to be removed quickly and easily. This isparticularly beneficial when the pant contains messy excrement. Fortraining pants, the caregiver can completely remove the pant-likeproduct and replace it with a new one without having to remove thechild's shoes and clothing.

[0018] The present invention can be used in the manufacture of a widevariety of absorbent and non-absorbent products, including trainingpants, swim pants, diaper pants, incontinence garments, feminine careproducts, health care garments, apparel for institutional, industrialand consumer use, or other garments. Absorbent articles are adapted tobe worn adjacent to the body of a wearer to absorb and contain variousexudates discharged from the body. The absorbent articles can beprefastened to provide a pant-like product for the user. The product canthen be pulled on like a conventional training pant, and subsequentlychecked or removed with the ease of a diaper-like product. Moreover, theproduct may be applied like a diaper rather than like a pant.Supplemental releasable fastening means such as frangible point bondsmay be employed to maintain the absorbent article in a pantconfiguration until the user intentionally disengages the fasteners.

[0019] Particular training pants suitable for use with the presentinvention are disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/444,083,filed on Nov. 22, 1999 (corresponding to PCT application WO 00/37009published Jun. 29, 2000) by A. Fletcher et al. and titled “AbsorbentArticles With Refastenable Side Seams;” which is incorporated herein byreference. This reference describes various materials and methods forconstructing training pants. Training pants can also be constructedusing the methods and apparatus disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,940,464issued Jul. 10, 1990 to Van Gompel et al.; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,766,389issued Jun. 16, 1998 to Brandon et al.; which are also incorporatedherein by reference.

[0020] Definitions

[0021] Within the context of this specification, each term or phrasebelow will include the following meaning or meanings.

[0022] “Bonded” refers to the joining, adhering, connecting, attaching,or the like, of two elements. Two elements will be considered to bebonded together when they are bonded directly to one another orindirectly to one another, such as when each is directly bonded tointermediate elements.

[0023] “Comprising” is inclusive or open-ended and does not excludeadditional, unrecited elements or method steps.

[0024] “Connected” refers to the joining, adhering, bonding, attaching,or the like, of two elements. Two elements will be considered to beconnected together when they are connected directly to one another orindirectly to one another, such as when each is directly connected tointermediate elements.

[0025] “Disposable” refers to articles which are designed to bediscarded after a limited use rather than being laundered or otherwiserestored for reuse.

[0026] “Disposed,” “disposed on,” and variations thereof are intended tomean that one element can be integral with another element, or that oneelement can be a separate structure bonded to or placed with or placednear another element.

[0027] “Elastic,” “elasticized” and “elasticity” mean that property of amaterial or composite by virtue of which it tends to recover itsoriginal size and shape after removal of a force causing a deformation.

[0028] “Elastomeric” refers to a material or composite which can beelongated by at least 25 percent of its relaxed length and which willrecover, upon release of the applied force, at least 10 percent of itselongation. It is generally preferred that the elastomeric material orcomposite be capable of being elongated by at least 100 percent, morepreferably by at least 300 percent, of its relaxed length and recover,upon release of an applied force, at least 50 percent of its elongation.

[0029] “Fabrics” is used to refer to all of the woven, knitted andnonwoven fibrous webs.

[0030] “Flexible” refers to materials which are compliant and which willreadily conform to the general shape and contours of the wearer's body.

[0031] “Force” includes a physical influence exerted by one body onanother which produces acceleration of bodies that are free to move anddeformation of bodies that are not free to move. Force is expressed ingrams per unit area.

[0032] “Graphic” refers to any design, pattern, or the like that isvisible on an absorbent article.

[0033] “Hydrophilic” describes fibers or the surfaces of fibers whichare wetted by the aqueous liquids in contact with the fibers. The degreeof wetting of the materials can, in turn, be described in terms of thecontact angles and the surface tensions of the liquids and materialsinvolved. Equipment and techniques suitable for measuring thewettability of particular fiber materials or blends of fiber materialscan be provided by a Cahn SFA-222 Surface Force Analyzer System, or asubstantially equivalent system. When measured with this system, fibershaving contact angles less than 90° are designated “wettable” orhydrophilic, while fibers having contact angles greater than 90° aredesignated “nonwettable” or hydrophobic.

[0034] “Integral” is used to refer to various portions of a singleunitary element rather than separate structures bonded to or placed withor placed near one another.

[0035] “Inward” and “outward” refer to positions relative to the centerof an absorbent article, and particularly transversely and/orlongitudinally closer to or away from the longitudinal and transversecenter of the absorbent article.

[0036] “Layer” when used in the singular can have the dual meaning of asingle element or a plurality of elements.

[0037] “Liquid impermeable”, when used in describing a layer ormulti-layer laminate, means that a liquid, such as urine, will not passthrough the layer or laminate, under ordinary use conditions, in adirection generally perpendicular to the plane of the layer or laminateat the point of liquid contact. Liquid, or urine, may spread or betransported parallel to the plane of the liquid impermeable layer orlaminate, but this is not considered to be within the meaning of “liquidimpermeable” when used herein.

[0038] “Longitudinal” and “transverse” have their customary meaning. Thelongitudinal axis lies in the plane of the article and is generallyparallel to a vertical plane that bisects a standing wearer into leftand right body halves when the article is worn. The transverse axis liesin the plane of the article generally perpendicular to the longitudinalaxis. The article as illustrated is longer in the longitudinal directionthan in the transverse direction.

[0039] “Member” when used in the singular can have the dual meaning of asingle element or a plurality of elements.

[0040] “Nonwoven” and “nonwoven web” refer to materials and webs ofmaterial which are formed without the aid of a textile weaving orknitting process.

[0041] “Operatively joined,” with reference to the attachment of anelastic member to another element, means that the elastic member whenattached to or connected to the element, or treated with heat orchemicals, by stretching, or the like, gives the element elasticproperties; and with reference to the attachment of a non-elastic memberto another element, means that the member and element can be attached inany suitable manner that permits or allows them to perform the intendedor described function of the joinder. The joining, attaching, connectingor the like can be either directly, such as joining either memberdirectly to an element, or can be indirectly by means of another memberdisposed between the first member and the first element.

[0042] “Outer cover graphic” refers to a graphic that is directlyvisible upon inspection of the exterior surface of a garment, and for arefastenable garment is in reference to inspection of the exteriorsurface of the garment when the fastening system is engaged as it wouldbe during use.

[0043] “Permanently bonded” refers to the joining, adhering, connecting,attaching, or the like, of two elements of an absorbent garment suchthat the elements tend to be and remain bonded during normal useconditions of the absorbent garment.

[0044] “Refastenable” refers to the property of two elements beingcapable of releasable attachment, separation, and subsequent releasablereattachment without substantial permanent deformation or rupture.

[0045] “Releasably attached,” “releasably engaged” and variationsthereof refer to two elements being connected or connectable such thatthe elements tend to remain connected absent a separation force appliedto one or both of the elements, and the elements being capable ofseparation without substantial permanent deformation or rupture. Therequired separation force is typically beyond that encountered whilewearing the absorbent garment.

[0046] “Rupture” means the breaking or tearing apart of a material; intensile testing, the term refers to the total separation of a materialinto two parts either all at once or in stages, or the development of ahole in some materials.

[0047] “Stretch bonded” refers to an elastic member being bonded toanother member while the elastic member is extended at least about 25percent of its relaxed length. Desirably, the term “stretch bonded”refers to the situation wherein the elastic member is extended at leastabout 100 percent, and more desirably at least about 300 percent, of itsrelaxed length when it is bonded to the other member.

[0048] “Stretch bonded laminate” refers to a composite material havingat least two layers in which one layer is a gatherable layer and theother layer is an elastic layer. The layers are joined together when theelastic layer is in an extended condition so that upon relaxing thelayers, the gatherable layer is gathered.

[0049] “Surface” includes any layer, film, woven, nonwoven, laminate,composite, or the like, whether pervious or impervious to air, gas,and/or liquids.

[0050] “Tension” includes a uniaxial force tending to cause theextension of a body or the balancing force within that body resistingthe extension.

[0051] “Thermoplastic” describes a material that softens when exposed toheat and which substantially returns to a nonsoftened condition whencooled to room temperature.

[0052] These terms may be defined with additional language in theremaining portions of the specification.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0053] The above-mentioned and other features of the present inventionand the manner of attaining them will become more apparent, and theinvention itself will be better understood by reference to the followingdescription and the accompanying drawings, wherein similar features indifferent figures have been given the same reference numeral.

[0054]FIG. 1 is a schematic view of an exemplary embodiment of anassembly section for making garments such as training pants.

[0055]FIG. 2 is a schematic side view of an exemplary embodiment of afolding section for making garments such as training pants, the foldingsection following the assembly section shown in FIG. 1.

[0056]FIG. 3 is a schematic side view of one embodiment of a method andapparatus for making garments according to the present invention, theview illustrating a seaming section which follows the folding sectionshown in FIG. 2.

[0057]FIG. 4 illustrates a side view of a training pant made by theprocess and apparatus shown in FIGS. 1-3, where the fastening system isshown engaged on one side of the training pant and disengaged on theother side of the training pant.

[0058]FIG. 5 illustrates a plan view of the training pant shown in FIG.4 in an unfastened, stretched and laid flat condition, and showing thesurface of the training pant that faces away from the wearer.

[0059]FIG. 6 illustrates a plan view similar to FIG. 5, but showing thesurface of the training pant that faces the wearer when the trainingpant is worn, and with portions cut away to show the underlyingfeatures.

[0060]FIG. 7 illustrates a portion of a continuously moving assemblageat one point in the assembly section illustrated in FIG. 1.

[0061]FIG. 8 illustrates an enlarged side view of the folding sectionshown in FIG. 2.

[0062]FIG. 9 illustrates a top view of a portion of the folding sectionshown in FIG. 2.

[0063]FIG. 10 illustrates an enlarged section view of a portion of atraining pant at a position within the folding section shown in FIGS. 2,8 and 9.

[0064]FIG. 11 illustrates an enlarged side view of a portion of theseaming section shown in FIG. 3.

[0065]FIG. 12 illustrates an enlarged section view of a portion of atraining pant within the seaming section, at the position represented byline 12-12 in FIG. 11.

[0066]FIG. 13 illustrates an enlarged section view of a portion of atraining pant within the seaming section, at the position represented byline 13-13 in FIG. 11.

[0067]FIG. 14 illustrates an enlarged section view of a portion of atraining pant within the seaming section, at the position represented byline 14-14 in FIG. 11.

[0068]FIG. 15 illustrates another enlarged side view of a portion of theseaming section shown in FIG. 3.

[0069]FIG. 16 illustrates an enlarged section view of a portion of atraining pant within the seaming section, at the position represented byline 16-16 in FIG. 15.

[0070]FIG. 17 illustrates an enlarged section view of a portion of atraining pant within the seaming section, at the position represented byline 17-17 in FIG. 15.

[0071]FIG. 18 illustrates an enlarged section view of a portion of atraining pant within the seaming section, at the position represented byline 18-18 in FIG. 15.

[0072]FIG. 19 illustrates an isometric view of a training pant beingfolded in the seaming section, the view showing folding and tuckingguides which can be employed in particular embodiments.

[0073]FIG. 20 schematically illustrates a top plan view of a side panelat a sequence of positions on a side panel transfer device shown inFIGS. 3 and 11-19.

[0074]FIGS. 21 through 24 illustrate another embodiment of the presentmethod and apparatus.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0075] The methods and apparatus of the present invention can be used tomake a variety of garments. Examples of such garments include disposableabsorbent articles such as diapers, training pants, feminine hygieneproducts, incontinence products, other personal care or health caregarments; swim pants; athletic clothing; pants and shorts; or the like.For ease of explanation, the description hereafter will be in terms ofmethods and apparatus for making a child's training pant. In particular,the methods and apparatus will be described in terms of those for makingprefastened disposable training pants as described in U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 09/444,083 titled “Absorbent Articles WithRefastenable Side Seams” and filed Nov. 22, 1999 (corresponding to PCTapplication WO 00/37009 published Jun. 29, 2000) by A. L. Fletcher etal., the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0076] FIGS. 1-3 representatively illustrate one embodiment of a methodand apparatus for making a training pant 20. The training pant 20 isillustrated separately and in a partially fastened condition in FIG. 4.The training pant 20 comprises an absorbent chassis 32 and a fasteningsystem 80. The absorbent chassis 32 defines a front waist region 22, aback waist region 24, a crotch region 26 interconnecting the front andback waist regions, an inner surface 28 which is configured to contactthe wearer, and an outer surface 30 opposite the inner surface which isconfigured to contact the wearer's clothing. With additional referenceto FIGS. 5 and 6, the absorbent chassis 32 also defines a pair oftransversely opposed side edges 36 and a pair of longitudinally opposedwaist edges, which are designated front waist edge 38 and back waistedge 39. The front waist region 22 is contiguous with the front waistedge 38, and the back waist region 24 is contiguous with the back waistedge 39.

[0077] The illustrated absorbent chassis 32 comprises a compositestructure 33 which can be rectangular or any other desired shape, a pairof transversely opposed front side panels 34, and a pair of transverselyopposed back side panels 134. The composite structure 33 and side panels34 and 134 may comprise two or more separate elements, as shown in FIG.4, or be integrally formed. Integrally formed side panels and compositestructure would comprise at least some common materials, such as thebodyside liner, flap composite, outer cover, other materials and/orcombinations thereof, and could define a one-piece elastic, stretchable,or nonstretchable pant. The illustrated composite structure 33 comprisesan outer cover 40, a bodyside liner 42 (FIGS. 4 and 6) which isconnected to the outer cover in a superposed relation, an absorbentassembly 44 (FIG. 6) which is located between the outer cover and thebodyside liner, and a pair of containment flaps 46 (FIG. 6). Theillustrated composite structure 33 has opposite linear end edges 45 thatform portions of the front and back waist edges 38 and 39, and oppositelinear side edges 47 that form portions of the side edges 36 of theabsorbent chassis 32 (FIGS. 5 and 6). For reference, arrows 48 and 49depicting the orientation of the longitudinal axis and the transverseaxis, respectively, of the training pant 20 are illustrated in FIGS. 5and 6.

[0078] With the training pant 20 in the fastened position as partiallyillustrated in FIG. 4, the front and back waist regions 22 and 24 arejoined together to define a three-dimensional pant configuration havinga waist opening 50 and a pair of leg openings 52. The front waist region22 comprises the portion of the training pant 20 which, when worn, ispositioned on the front of the wearer while the back waist region 24comprises the portion of the training pant which, when worn, ispositioned on the back of the wearer. The crotch region 26 of thetraining pant 20 comprises the portion of the training pant which, whenworn, is positioned between the legs of the wearer and covers the lowertorso of the wearer. The front and back side panels 34 and 134 comprisethe portions of the training pant 20 which, when worn, are positioned onthe hips of the wearer.

[0079] The front waist region 22 of the absorbent chassis 32 includesthe transversely opposed front side panels 34 and a front center panel35 (FIGS. 5 and 6) positioned between and interconnecting the sidepanels. The back waist region 24 of the absorbent chassis 32 includesthe transversely opposed back side panels 134 and a back center panel135 (FIGS. 5 and 6) positioned between and interconnecting the sidepanels. The waist edges 38 and 39 of the absorbent chassis 32 areconfigured to encircle the waist of the wearer when worn and provide thewaist opening 50 which defines a waist perimeter dimension. Portions ofthe transversely opposed side edges 36 in the crotch region 26 generallydefine the leg openings 52.

[0080] The absorbent chassis 32 is configured to contain and/or absorbany body exudates discharged from the wearer. For example, the absorbentchassis 32 desirably although not necessarily comprises the pair ofcontainment flaps 46 which are configured to provide a barrier to thetransverse flow of body exudates. A flap elastic member 53 (FIG. 6) canbe operatively joined with each containment flap 46 in any suitablemanner as is well known in the art. The elasticized containment flaps 46define an unattached edge which assumes an upright configuration in atleast the crotch region 26 of the training pant 20 to form a sealagainst the wearer's body. The containment flaps 46 can be located alongthe transversely opposed side edges of the absorbent chassis 32, and canextend longitudinally along the entire length of the absorbent chassisor may only extend partially along the length of the absorbent chassis.Suitable constructions and arrangements for the containment flaps 46 aregenerally well known to those skilled in the art and are described inU.S. Pat. No. 4,704,116 issued Nov. 3, 1987 to Enloe, which isincorporated herein by reference.

[0081] To further enhance containment and/or absorption of bodyexudates, the training pant 20 desirably although not necessarilyincludes a front waist elastic member 54, a rear waist elastic member56, and leg elastic members 58, as are known to those skilled in the art(FIG. 6). The waist elastic members 54 and 56 can be operatively joinedto the outer cover 40 and/or bodyside liner 42 along the opposite waistedges 38 and 39, and can extend over part or all of the waist edges. Theleg elastic members 58 can be operatively joined to the outer cover 40and/or bodyside liner 42 along the opposite side edges 36 and positionedin the crotch region 26 of the training pant 20. The leg elastic members58 are desirably longitudinally aligned along each side edge 47 of thecomposite structure 33. Each leg elastic member 58 has a front terminalpoint 63 and a back terminal point 65, which points represent thelongitudinal ends of the elastic gathering caused by the leg elasticmembers. The front terminal points 63 can be located adjacent thelongitudinally innermost parts of the front side panels 34, and the backterminal points 65 can be located adjacent the longitudinally innermostparts of the back side panels 134.

[0082] The flap elastic members 53, the waist elastic members 54 and 56,and the leg elastic members 58 can be formed of any suitable elasticmaterial. As is well known to those skilled in the art, suitable elasticmaterials include sheets, strands or ribbons of natural rubber,synthetic rubber, or thermoplastic elastomeric polymers. The elasticmaterials can be stretched and adhered to a substrate, adhered to agathered substrate, or adhered to a substrate and then elasticized orshrunk, for example with the application of heat; such that elasticconstrictive forces are imparted to the substrate. In one particularembodiment, for example, the leg elastic members 58 comprise a pluralityof dry-spun coalesced multifilament spandex elastomeric threads soldunder the trade name LYCRA® and available from E. I. Du Pont de Nemoursand Company, Wilmington, Del. U.S.A.

[0083] The outer cover 40 desirably comprises a material that issubstantially liquid impermeable, and can be elastic, stretchable ornonstretchable. The outer cover 40 can be a single layer of liquidimpermeable material, but desirably comprises a multi-layered laminatestructure in which at least one of the layers is liquid impermeable. Forinstance, the outer cover 40 can include a liquid permeable outer layerand a liquid impermeable inner layer that are suitably joined togetherby a laminate adhesive, ultrasonic bonds, thermal bonds, or the like.Suitable laminate adhesives, which can be applied continuously orintermittently as beads, a spray, parallel swirls, or the like, can beobtained from Findley Adhesives, Inc., of Wauwatosa, Wis. U.S.A., orfrom National Starch and Chemical Company, Bridgewater, N.J. U.S.A. Theliquid permeable outer layer can be any suitable material and desirablyone that provides a generally cloth-like texture. One example of such amaterial is a 20 gsm (grams per square meter) spunbond polypropylenenonwoven web. The outer layer may also be made of those materials ofwhich liquid permeable bodyside liner 42 is made. While it is not anecessity for outer layer to be liquid permeable, it is desired that itprovides a relatively cloth-like texture to the wearer.

[0084] The inner layer of the outer cover 40 can be both liquid andvapor impermeable, or can be liquid impermeable and vapor permeable. Theinner layer can be manufactured from a thin plastic film, although otherflexible liquid impermeable materials may also be used. The inner layer,or the liquid impermeable outer cover 40 when a single layer, preventswaste material from wetting articles, such as bedsheets and clothing, aswell as the wearer and caregiver. A suitable liquid impermeable film foruse as a liquid impermeable inner layer, or a single layer liquidimpermeable outer cover 40, is a 0.02 millimeter polyethylene filmcommercially available from Huntsman Packaging of Newport News, Va.U.S.A. If the outer cover 40 is a single layer of material, it can beembossed and/or matte finished to provide a more cloth-like appearance.As earlier mentioned, the liquid impermeable material can permit vaporsto escape from the interior of the disposable absorbent article, whilestill preventing liquids from passing through the outer cover 40. Asuitable “breathable” material is composed of a microporous polymer filmor a nonwoven fabric that has been coated or otherwise treated to imparta desired level of liquid impermeability. A suitable microporous film isa PMP-1 film material commercially available from Mitsui ToatsuChemicals, Inc., Tokyo, Japan, or an XKO-8044 polyolefin filmcommercially available from 3M Company, Minneapolis, Minn. U.S.A.

[0085] As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the training pant 20 and in particularthe outer cover 40 desirably comprises one or more appearance-relatedcomponents. Examples of appearance-related components include, but arenot limited to, graphics; highlighting or emphasizing leg and waistopenings in order to make product shaping more evident or visible to theuser; highlighting or emphasizing areas of the product to simulatefunctional components such as elastic leg bands, elastic waistbands,simulated “fly openings” for boys, ruffles for girls; highlighting areasof the product to change the appearance of the size of the product;registering wetness indicators, temperature indicators, and the like inthe product; registering a back label, or a front label, in the product;and registering written instructions at a desired location in theproduct.

[0086] The illustrated training pant 20, which is designed for use byyoung girls, includes a registered outer cover graphic 60. In thisdesign, the registered graphic 60 includes a primary pictorial image 61,simulated waist ruffles 62, and simulated leg ruffles 64. The primarypictorial image 61 includes a rainbow, sun, clouds, animal characters,wagon and balloons. Any suitable design can be utilized for a trainingpant intended for use by young girls, so as to be aesthetically and/orfunctionally pleasing to them and the caregiver. The appearance-relatedcomponents are desirably positioned on the training pant 20 at selectedlocations, which can be carried out using the methods disclosed in U.S.Pat. No. 5,766,389 issued Jun. 16, 1998 to Brandon et al., which isincorporated herein by reference. The primary pictorial image 61 isdesirably positioned in the front waist region 22 along the longitudinalcenter line of the training pant 20.

[0087] The liquid permeable bodyside liner 42 is illustrated asoverlying the outer cover 40 and absorbent assembly 44, and may but neednot have the same dimensions as the outer cover 40. The bodyside liner42 is desirably compliant, soft feeling, and non-irritating to thechild's skin. Further, the bodyside liner 42 can be less hydrophilicthan the absorbent assembly 44, to present a relatively dry surface tothe wearer and permit liquid to readily penetrate through its thickness.Alternatively, the bodyside liner 42 can be more hydrophilic or can haveessentially the same affinity for moisture as the absorbent assembly 44to present a relatively wet surface to the wearer to increase thesensation of being wet. This wet sensation can be useful as a trainingaid. The hydrophilic/hydrophobic properties can be varied across thelength, width and depth of the bodyside liner 42 and absorbent assembly44 to achieve the desired wetness sensation or leakage performance.

[0088] The bodyside liner 42 can be manufactured from a wide selectionof web materials, such as synthetic fibers (for example, polyester orpolypropylene fibers), natural fibers (for example, wood or cottonfibers), a combination of natural and synthetic fibers, porous foams,reticulated foams, apertured plastic films, or the like. Various wovenand nonwoven fabrics can be used for the bodyside liner 42. For example,the bodyside liner can be composed of a meltblown or spunbonded web ofpolyolefin fibers. The bodyside liner can also be a bonded-carded webcomposed of natural and/or synthetic fibers. The bodyside liner can becomposed of a substantially hydrophobic material, and the hydrophobicmaterial can, optionally, be treated with a surfactant or otherwiseprocessed to impart a desired level of wettability and hydrophilicity.For example, the material can be surface treated with about 0.45 weightpercent of a surfactant mixture comprising Ahcovel N-62 from HodgsonTextile Chemicals of Mount Holly, N.C. U.S.A. and Glucopan 220UP fromHenkel Corporation of Ambler, Pa. in an active ratio of 3:1. Thesurfactant can be applied by any conventional means, such as spraying,printing, brush coating or the like. The surfactant can be applied tothe entire bodyside liner 42 or can be selectively applied to particularsections of the bodyside liner, such as the medial section along thelongitudinal center line.

[0089] A suitable liquid permeable bodyside liner 42 is a nonwovenbicomponent web having a basis weight of about 27 gsm. The nonwovenbicomponent can be a spunbond bicomponent web, or a bonded cardedbicomponent web. Suitable bicomponent staple fibers include apolyethylene/polypropylene bicomponent fiber available from CHISSOCorporation, Osaka, Japan. In this particular bicomponent fiber, thepolypropylene forms the core and the polyethylene forms the sheath ofthe fiber. Other fiber orientations are possible, such as multi-lobe,side-by-side, end-to-end, or the like. The outer cover 40, bodysideliner 42 and other materials used to construct the pant can compriseelastomeric materials or nonelastomeric materials.

[0090] The absorbent assembly 44 (FIG. 6) is positioned between theouter cover 40 and the bodyside liner 42, which components can be joinedtogether by any suitable means such as adhesives, ultrasonic bonds,thermal bonds, or the like. The absorbent assembly 44 can be anystructure which is generally compressible, conformable, non-irritatingto the child's skin, and capable of absorbing and retaining liquids andcertain body wastes. The absorbent assembly 44 can be manufactured in awide variety of sizes and shapes, and from a wide variety of liquidabsorbent materials commonly used in the art. For example, the absorbentassembly 44 can suitably comprise a matrix of hydrophilic fibers, suchas a web of cellulosic fluff, mixed with particles of a high-absorbencymaterial commonly known as superabsorbent material. In a particularembodiment, the absorbent assembly 44 comprises a matrix of cellulosicfluff, such as wood pulp fluff, and superabsorbent hydrogel-formingparticles. The wood pulp fluff can be exchanged with synthetic,polymeric, meltblown fibers or short cut homofil bicomponent syntheticfibers and natural fibers. The superabsorbent particles can besubstantially homogeneously mixed with the hydrophilic fibers or can benonuniformly mixed. The fluff and superabsorbent particles can also beselectively placed into desired zones of the absorbent assembly 44 tobetter contain and absorb body exudates. The concentration of thesuperabsorbent particles can also vary through the thickness of theabsorbent assembly 44. Alternatively, the absorbent assembly 44 cancomprise a laminate of fibrous webs and superabsorbent material or othersuitable means of maintaining a superabsorbent material in a localizedarea.

[0091] Suitable superabsorbent materials can be selected from natural,synthetic, and modified natural polymers and materials. Thesuperabsorbent materials can be inorganic materials, such as silicagels, or organic compounds, such as crosslinked polymers, for example,sodium neutralized polyacrylic acid. Suitable superabsorbent materialsare available from various commercial vendors, such as Dow ChemicalCompany located in Midland, Mich. U.S.A., and Stockhausen GmbH & Co. KG,D-47805 Krefeld, Federal Republic of Germany. Typically, asuperabsorbent material is capable of absorbing at least about 15 timesits weight in water, and desirably is capable of absorbing more thanabout 25 times its weight in water.

[0092] In one embodiment, the absorbent assembly 44 which can berectangular or any other desired shape comprises a blend of wood pulpfluff and superabsorbent material. One preferred type of pulp isidentified with the trade designation CR1654, available from U.S.Alliance, Childersburg, Ala. U.S.A., and is a bleached, highly absorbentsulfate wood pulp containing primarily soft wood fibers and about 16percent hardwood fibers. As a general rule, the superabsorbent materialis present in the absorbent assembly 44 in an amount of from 0 to about90 weight percent based on total weight of the absorbent assembly. Theabsorbent assembly 44 suitably has a density within the range of about0.10 to about 0.35 grams per cubic centimeter. The absorbent assembly 44may or may not be wrapped or encompassed by a suitable tissue wrap thatmay help maintain the integrity and/or shape of the absorbent assembly.

[0093] The absorbent chassis 32 can also incorporate other materialsthat are designed primarily to receive, temporarily store, and/ortransport liquid along the mutually facing surface with absorbentassembly 44, thereby maximizing the absorbent capacity of the absorbentassembly. One suitable material is referred to as a surge layer (notshown) and comprises a material having a basis weight of about 50 toabout 120 grams per square meter, and comprising athrough-air-bonded-carded web of a homogenous blend of 60 percent 3denier type T-256 bicomponent fiber comprising a polyestercore/polyethylene sheath and 40 percent 6 denier type T-295 polyesterfiber, both commercially available from Kosa Corporation of Salisbury,N.C. U.S.A.

[0094] As noted previously, the illustrated training pant 20 has frontand back side panels 34 and 134 disposed on each side of the absorbentchassis 32. These transversely opposed front side panels 34 andtransversely opposed back side panels 134 can be permanently bondedalong attachment lines 66 to the composite structure 33 of the absorbentchassis 32 in the respective front and back waist regions 22 and 24.More particularly, as shown best in FIGS. 5 and 6, the front side panels34 can be permanently bonded to and extend transversely beyond thelinear side edges 47 of the composite structure 33 in the front waistregion 22, and the back side panels 134 can be permanently bonded to andextend transversely beyond the linear side edges of the compositestructure in the back waist region 24. The side panels 34 and 134 may beattached using attachment means known to those skilled in the art suchas adhesive, thermal or ultrasonic bonding. Alternatively, the sidepanels 34 and 134 can be formed as an integral portion of a component ofthe composite structure 33. For example, the side panels can comprise agenerally wider portion of the outer cover 40, the bodyside liner 42,and/or another component of the absorbent chassis. The front and backside panels 34 and 134 can be permanently bonded together or bereleasably attached to one another as illustrated by the fasteningsystem 80.

[0095] The illustrated side panels 34 and 134 each define a distal edge68 that is spaced from the attachment line 66, a leg end edge 70disposed toward the longitudinal center of the training pant 20, and awaist end edge 72 disposed toward a longitudinal end of the trainingpant. The leg end edge 70 and waist end edge 72 extend from the sideedges 47 of the composite structure 33 to the distal edges 68. The legend edges 70 of the side panels 34 and 134 form part of the side edges36 of the absorbent chassis 32. In the back waist region 24, the leg endedges 70 are desirably although not necessarily curved and/or angledrelative to the transverse axis 49 to provide greater coverage towardthe back of the pant as compared to the front of the pant. The waist endedges 72 are desirably parallel to the transverse axis 49. The waist endedges 72 of the front side panels 34 form part of the front waist edge38 of the absorbent chassis 32, and the waist end edges 72 of the backside panels 134 form part of the back waist edge 39 of the absorbentchassis.

[0096] In particular embodiments for improved fit and appearance, theside panels 34 and 134 desirably have an average length dimensionmeasured parallel to the longitudinal axis 48 that is about 20 percentor greater, and particularly about 25 percent or greater, of the overalllength dimension of the absorbent article, also measured parallel to thelongitudinal axis 48. For example, in training pants having an overalllength dimension of about 54 centimeters, the side panels 34 and 134desirably have an average length dimension of about 10 centimeters orgreater, such as about 15 centimeters. While each of the side panels 34and 134 extend from the waist opening 50 to one of the leg openings 52,the illustrated back side panels 134 have a continually decreasinglength dimension moving from the attachment line 66 to the distal edge68, as is best shown in FIGS. 5 and 6.

[0097] Each of the side panels 34 and 134 can include one or moreindividual, distinct pieces of material. In particular embodiments, forexample, each side panel 34 and 134 can include first and second sidepanel portions that are joined at a seam, or can include a single pieceof material which is folded over upon itself (not shown).

[0098] The side panels 34 and 134 desirably although not necessarilycomprise an elastic material capable of stretching in a directiongenerally parallel to the transverse axis 49 of the training pant 20.Suitable elastic materials, as well as one process of incorporatingelastic side panels into a training pant, are described in the followingU.S. Pat. Nos.: 4,940,464 issued Jul. 10, 1990 to Van Gompel et al.;5,224,405 issued Jul. 6, 1993 to Pohjola; 5,104,116 issued Apr. 14, 1992to Pohjola; and 5,046,272 issued Sep. 10, 1991 to Vogt et al.; all ofwhich are incorporated herein by reference. In particular embodiments,the elastic material comprises a stretch-thermal laminate (STL), aneck-bonded laminate (NBL), a reversibly necked laminate, or astretch-bonded laminate (SBL) material. Methods of making such materialsare well known to those skilled in the art and described in U.S. Pat.No. 4,663,220 issued May 5, 1987 to Wisneski et al.; U.S. Pat. No.5,226,992 issued Jul. 13, 1993 to Morman; and European PatentApplication No. EP 0 217 032 published on Apr. 8, 1987 in the names ofTaylor et al.; all of which are incorporated herein by reference.Alternatively, the side panel material may comprise other woven ornonwoven materials, such as those described above as being suitable forthe outer cover 40 or bodyside liner 42; mechanically pre-strainedcomposites; or stretchable but inelastic materials.

[0099] The illustrated training pant 20 includes a fastening system 80for refastenably securing the training pant about the waist of thewearer. The illustrated fastening system 80 includes first fasteningcomponents 82 and 83 that are adapted to refastenably connect to matingsecond fastening components 84 and 85. In one embodiment, one surface ofeach of the first fastening components 82 and 83 comprises a pluralityof engaging elements that project from that surface. The engagingelements of the first fastening components 82 and 83 are adapted torepeatedly engage and disengage engaging elements of the secondfastening components 84 and 85.

[0100] In one particular embodiment, the first fastening components 82and 83 each comprise hook type fasteners and the second fasteningcomponents 84 and 85 each comprise complementary loop type fasteners. Inanother particular embodiment, the first fastening components 82 and 83each comprise loop type fasteners and the second fastening components 84and 85 each comprise complementary hook type fasteners. Alternatively,the fastening components can comprise interlocking similar surfacefasteners; adhesive or cohesive fastening elements such as an adhesivefastener and an adhesive-receptive landing zone or material; or thelike. Although the illustrated embodiments show the back waist region 24overlapping the front waist region 22, which is convenient, the trainingpant 20 can also be configured so that the front waist region overlapsthe back waist region.

[0101] Loop type fasteners typically comprise a fabric or materialhaving a base or backing structure and a plurality of loop membersextending upwardly from at least one surface of the backing structure.The loop material can be formed of any suitable material, such asacrylic, nylon, polypropylene or polyester, and can be formed by methodssuch as warp knitting, stitch bonding or needle punching. Loop typematerials can also comprise any fibrous structure capable of entanglingor catching hook type materials, such as carded, spunbonded or othernonwoven webs or composites, including elastomeric and nonelastomericcomposites. Suitable loop materials are available from Guilford Mills,Inc., Greensboro, N.C., U.S.A. under the trade designation No. 36549.Another suitable loop material can comprise a pattern un-bonded web asdisclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,858,515 issued Jan. 12, 1999 to Stokes etal.

[0102] Hook type fasteners typically comprise a fabric or materialhaving a base or backing structure and a plurality of hook membersextending upwardly from at least one surface of the backing structure.In contrast to the loop type fasteners which desirably comprise aflexible fabric, the hook material advantageously comprises a resilientmaterial to minimize unintentional disengagement of the fastenercomponents as a result of the hook material becoming deformed andcatching on clothing or other items. The term “resilient” as used hereinrefers to an interlocking material having a predetermined shape and theproperty of the interlocking material to resume the predetermined shapeafter being engaged and disengaged from a mating, complementaryinterlocking material. Suitable hook material can be molded or extrudedof nylon, polypropylene or another suitable material. Suitablesingle-sided hook materials for the fastening components 82-85 areavailable from commercial vendors such as Velcro Industries B.V.,Amsterdam, Netherlands or affiliates thereof, and are identified asVelcro HTH-829 with a uni-directional hook pattern and having athickness of about 0.9 millimeters (35 mils) and HTH-851 with aunidirectional hook pattern and having a thickness of about 0.5millimeters (20 mils); and Minnesota Mining & Manufacturing Co., St.Paul, Minn. U.S.A., including specific materials identified as CS-600.

[0103] With particular reference to FIG. 6, the first fasteningcomponents 82 and 83 are desirably although not necessarily disposed onthe inner surface 28 of the training pant 20 in the back waist region24. The first fastening components 82 and 83 are desirably positionedalong the distal edges 68 of the back side panels 134, and abutting oradjacent to the waist end edge 72. In certain embodiments, for example,the first fastening components 82 and 83 can be located within about 2centimeters, and more particularly within about 1 centimeter, of thedistal edges 68, the waist end edges 72, and the leg end edges 70.

[0104] With particular reference to FIG. 5, the second fasteningcomponents 84 and 85 are desirably although not necessarily disposed onthe outer surface 30 of the training pant 20 in the front waist region22. The second fastening components 84 and 85 are sized to receive thefirst fastening components 82 and 83 and can be desirably positionedalong the distal edges 68 of the front side panels 34, and abutting oradjacent to the waist end edge 72. In certain embodiments, for example,the second fastening components 84 and 85 are located within about 2centimeters, and more particularly within about 1 centimeter, of thedistal edges 68, the waist end edges 72, and the leg end edges 70. Wherethe first fastening components 82 and 83 comprise loop type fastenersdisposed on the inner surface 28 and the second fastening components 84and 85 comprise hook type fasteners disposed on the outer surface 30,the first fastening components can be sized larger than the secondfastening components to ensure coverage of the rigid, outwardly-directedhooks.

[0105] The fastening components 82-85 can be adhered to the side panels34 and 134 by any means known to those skilled in the art such asadhesive bonds, ultrasonic bonds or thermal bonds. The fasteningcomponents can comprise separate fastening elements or can comprisedistinct regions of an integral material. For example, the training pant20 can include an integral second fastening material disposed in thefront waist region 22 for refastenably connecting to the first fasteningcomponents 82 and 83 at two or more different regions, which define thesecond fastening components 84 and 85 (FIG. 3). In a particularembodiment, the fastening components can comprise integral portions ofthe waist regions. For instance, one of the elastomeric front or backside panels can function as second fastening components in that they cancomprise a material that is releasably engageable with fasteningcomponents disposed in the opposite waist region.

[0106] The fastening components are desirably rectangular, although theymay alternatively be square, round, oval, curved or otherwisenon-rectangularly shaped. In particular embodiments, each of thefastening components 82-85 defines a length dimension aligned generallyparallel with the longitudinal axis 48 of the training pant 20 and awidth dimension aligned generally parallel with the transverse axis 49of the training pant. For a child of about 9 to about 15 kilograms(20-30 pounds), for example, the length dimension of the fasteningcomponents is desirably from about 5 to about 13 centimeters, such asabout 10 centimeters, and the width dimension is desirably from about0.5 to about 3 centimeters, such as about 1 centimeter. With particularembodiments, the fastening components can have a length-to-width ratioof about 2 or greater, such as about 2 to about 25, and particularlyabout 5 or greater, such as about 5 to about 8. For other embodimentssuch as for adult products, it may be desirable for one or more of thefastening components to comprise a plurality of relatively smallerfastening elements. In that case, a fastening component or individualfastening elements may have an even smaller length-to-width ratio, forexample, of about 2 or less, and even about 1 or less.

[0107] When the fastening components 82-85 are releasably engaged, theside edges 36 of the absorbent chassis 32 in the crotch region 26 definethe leg openings 52, and the waist edges 38 and 39 of the absorbentchassis, including the waist end edges 72 of the side panels, define thewaist opening 50. For improved formation of the leg openings 52, it canbe desirable in some embodiments for the front side panels 34 to belongitudinally spaced from the back side panels 134 (see FIGS. 5 and 6).For example, the front side panels 34 can be longitudinally spaced fromthe back side panels 134 by a distance equal to about 20 percent orgreater, particularly from about 20 to about 60 percent, and moreparticularly from about 35 to about 50 percent, of the overall lengthdimension of the absorbent article.

[0108] When connected, the fastening components 82-85 form refastenableseams 88 (FIG. 4) that desirably although not necessarily extendsubstantially the entire distance between the waist opening 50 and theleg openings 52. More specifically, the refastenable seams 88 can coverabout 80 to 100 percent, and particularly about 90 to about 98 percent,of the distance between the waist opening 50 and each leg opening 52,which distance is measured parallel to the longitudinal axis 48. Toconstruct the seams 88 to extend substantially the entire distancebetween the waist and leg openings 50 and 52, the fastening components82-85 can be formed to cover about 80 to 100 percent, and moreparticularly about 90 to about 98 percent, of the distance between thewaist end edge 70 and the leg end edge 72 of the side panels 34 and 134.In other embodiments, the fastening components can comprise a pluralityof smaller fastening elements covering a smaller portion of the distancebetween the waist opening 50 and the leg openings 52, for example, about20 to about 70 percent, but spaced apart to span a larger percentage ofthe distance between the waist opening and the leg openings.

[0109] For the refastenable seams 88 to be located at the sides of thewearer, it can be particularly desirable for the transverse distancebetween the first fastening components 82 and 83 to be substantiallyequal to the transverse distance between the second fastening components84 and 85. The transverse distance between a set of fasteners ismeasured parallel to the transverse axis 49 between the longitudinalcenter lines of the fasteners.

[0110] An exemplary embodiment of an assembly section 100 for making acontinuous stream of partially assembled, discrete garments 102 isillustrated in FIG. 1. The specific equipment and processes used in theassembly section 100 can vary greatly depending on the specific type ofgarment being manufactured. The particular process and apparatusdescribed in relation to FIG. 1 is specifically adapted to manufacturetraining pants 20 of the type illustrated in FIG. 4.

[0111] The various components of the training pant can be connectedtogether by any means known to those skilled in the art such as, forexample, adhesive, thermal and/or ultrasonic bonds. Desirably, most ofthe components are connected using ultrasonic bonding for improvedmanufacturing efficiency and reduced raw material costs. Certain garmentmanufacturing equipment which is readily known and understood in theart, including frames and mounting structures, ultrasonic and adhesivebonding devices, transport conveyors, transfer rolls, guide rolls,tension rolls, and the like, have not been shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.Suitable absorbent supply mechanisms, web unwinds, conveyor systems,registration systems, drives systems, control systems and the like, foruse with the present process are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,766,389issued Jun. 16, 1998 to Brandon et al., which is incorporated herein byreference. Also, the outer cover graphics 61 are not shown in FIGS. 1, 2and 7.

[0112] A continuous supply of material 104 used to form the bodysideliner 42 is provided from a supply source 106. The supply source 106 cancomprise for example any standard unwind mechanism, which generallyincludes a pair of spindles, a festoon assembly, and a dancer roll forproviding bodyside liner material 104 at a desired speed and tension.

[0113] Various components can be disposed on and/or bonded to thebodyside liner material 104 as the material travels in a machinedirection identified by arrow 108. In particular, a surge layer can beprovided at an application station 110 and disposed on and/or bonded tothe bodyside liner material 104. The surge layer can comprise either acontinuous web or discrete sheets. Additionally, a containment flapmodule 112 can be provided downstream of the supply source 106 forattaching pre-assembled containment flaps to the bodyside liner material104. As various components are added in the assembly section 100, acontinuously moving product assemblage 113 is formed. The productassemblage 113 will be cut downstream to form the partially assembled,discrete training pants 102.

[0114] A plurality of absorbent assemblies 114 can be provided from asuitable supply source 115. The supply source 115 can be anyconventional mechanism for supplying the absorbent assemblies 114.Generally, a conventional supply source can include a hammermill forforming fluff fibers and, if desired, for providing an enclosure formixing superabsorbent material with the fluff fibers, and thendepositing the fluff and superabsorbent material on a forming drumhaving a desired absorbent design. The individual absorbent assemblies114 can be disposed intermittently on the continuously moving bodysideliner material 104, one for each training pant. The position of theabsorbent assemblies 114 can be registered with the position of thesurge material, if employed. The absorbent assemblies 114 can be bondedto one or more other components using adhesives or other suitable means.Alternatively, composite absorbent materials can be fed into theconverting process from rolls or compressed packages, such as festoonedbales.

[0115] Continuous webs of material 116 used to form the side panels 34and 134 can be provided from suitable supply sources 117. The supplysources 117 can comprise one or more standard unwind mechanisms. Theside panel material 116 can be cut into individual strips 118 andpositioned partially on the bodyside liner material 104 using anapplicator device 120. In the cross machine direction, the individualstrips 118 desirably extend laterally outward from the bodyside linermaterial 104 (see FIGS. 1 and 7) and overlap the bodyside liner materialby an amount such as about 2 or more centimeters to permit bonding ofthe strips to the bodyside liner and/or the containment flap material.In the machine direction 108, the position of the strips 118 can beregistered relative to the absorbent assemblies 114 so that the productassemblage 113 can be cut between the absorbent assemblies with eachstrip 118 of side panel material 116 forming both a front side panel 34and a back side panel 134 of consecutive garments 102.

[0116] One suitable applicator device 120 is disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos.5,104,116 issued Apr. 14, 1992 and 5,224,405 issued Jul. 6, 1993 both toPohjola, which are incorporated herein by reference. The applicatordevice 120 can comprise a cutting assembly 122 and a rotatable transferroll 124. The cutting assembly 122 employs a rotatable knife roll 126and a rotatable vacuum anvil roll 128 to cut individual strips 118 fromthe continuous side panel material 116. The strips 118 cut by a blade onthe knife roll 126 can be maintained on the anvil roll 128 by vacuum andtransferred to the transfer roll 124.

[0117] The rotatable transfer roll 124 can comprise a plurality ofrotatable vacuum pucks 130. The vacuum pucks 130 receive the strips 118of material 116 from the cutting assembly 122 and rotate and transferthe strips to the continuously moving bodyside liner material 104. Whenthe strips 118 are positioned as desired relative to the bodyside linermaterial 104, the strips are released from the pucks 130 byextinguishing the vacuum in the pucks. The pucks 130 can continue torotate toward the cutting assembly 122 to receive other strips.

[0118] As disclosed by Van Gompel et al., the material 116 used to formthe side panels can alternatively be provided in continuous form andpressurized fluid-jets or a rotary die cutter can be employed to cut thematerial to form leg openings 52. Still alternatively, the side panels34 and 134 of the training pant 20 can be provided by portions of thebodyside liner 42 and/or outer cover 40.

[0119] A continuous supply of material 140 used to form the outer cover40 can be provided from a supply roll 142 or other suitable source. Theouter cover material 140 can be transported over a laminator roll 144and married with the bodyside liner material 104. The absorbentassemblies 114 are thereby sandwiched between the continuous materials104 and 140. The inward portions of the strips 118 of side panelmaterial 116 can also be disposed between the bodyside liner material104 and the outer cover material 140. Alternative configurations forattaching the side panel material 116 are disclosed by Van Gompel et al.Various components such as leg elastics 58 or waist elastics 54 and 56can be bonded to the outer cover material 140 at an application station146 prior to uniting the bodyside liner and outer cover materials 104and 140. Alternatively, leg elastics or waist elastics can be initiallybonded to the bodyside liner material 104 or another material.

[0120] Bonding devices 148 such as ultrasonic bonders can be employeddownstream of the laminator roll 144 to bond the bodyside liner material104, side panel material 116 and outer cover material 140. For example,these materials can be transported between a rotary ultrasonic horn andan anvil roll. Suitable rotary ultrasonic horns are described in U.S.Pat. No. 5,110,403 to Ehlert, which is incorporated herein by reference.Such rotary ultrasonic horns generally have a diameter of from about 5to about 20 centimeters and a width of from about 2 to about 15centimeters. Alternatively, the ultrasonic horn may be a stationaryultrasonic horn as are also known to those skilled in the art. Othersuitable ultrasonic horns and ultrasonic bonders are commerciallyavailable from Branson Sonic Power Company, Danbury, Conn. U.S.A. Thebonding devices 148 could otherwise be a thermal or adhesive bonder asare well known.

[0121] The continuously moving product assemblage 113 next advances to afastener application station 150 where fastening components 82-85 arebonded to the strips 118 of side panel material 116. The location of thefastening components on the composite is a function in part of theconfiguration of the assembly section 100. The illustrated assemblysection 100 is configured so that the upwardly facing surface of theproduct assemblage 113 will become the outer surface 30 of the trainingpant 20 and the downwardly facing surface will become the inner surface28. Moreover, the illustrated assembly section 100 is configured toproduce partially assembled training pants 102 having the front waistregion 22 of a leading garment connected to the back waist region 24 ofa trailing garment. The process could alternatively employ anycombination of different orientations. For example, the upwardly facingsurface of the product assemblage could form the inner surface 28 offinished garments. Additionally or alternatively, the back waist region24 of a leading garment can be connected to the front waist region 22 ofthe trailing garment, or the garments can be arranged in afront-to-front/back-to-back relationship. Still alternatively, theassembly section 100 could be constructed as a cross-machine directionprocess wherein the longitudinal axis 48 of each garment could beperpendicular to the machine direction 108 during part or all of theassembly process.

[0122] The location of the fastening components 82-85 in this embodimentis best illustrated in FIG. 7, which shows a portion of the productassemblage 113 which is moving in the direction of arrow 108 immediatelyfollowing the fastener application station 150. Each individual strip118 of side panel material 116 defines a leading edge 152, a trailingedge 154, a distal edge 156 and an interior edge 158. A dashed line 159illustrates the location at which the product assemblage 113 cansubsequently be cut to provide the discrete training pants 102. Based onthe illustrated orientation of the continuously moving productassemblage 113, the first fastening components 82 and 83 can be bondedto the underside of the strips 118 and the second fastening components84 and 85 can be bonded to the top of the strips. Additionally, thefirst fastening components 82 and 83 can be disposed relatively closerto the trailing edge 154 and the second fastening components 84 and 85can be disposed relatively closer to the leading edge 152. The firstfastening components 82 and 83 can be spaced in the machine direction108 from the second fastening components 84 and 85 so that the cut line159 passes therebetween.

[0123] With reference again to FIG. 1, continuous webs of secondfastener material 160 used to form the second fastening components 84and 85 can be provided from supply rolls 162 or other suitable sources.The second fastener materials 160 can be cut into individual secondfasteners 84 and 85 by cutting assemblies 164 or other suitable devices.The illustrated cutting assemblies 164 include rotatable knife rolls166, rotatable vacuum anvil rolls 167, and rotatable backing rolls 168.The continuous second fastener materials 160 can be cut by blades on theknife rolls 166, maintained on the anvil rolls 167 by vacuum, anddisposed on the top surfaces of the strips 118 of side panel material116.

[0124] Similarly, continuous webs of first fastener material 170 used toform the first fastening components 82 and 83 can be provided fromsupply rolls 172 or other suitable sources. The first fastener materials170 can be cut into individual first fasteners 82 and 83 by cuttingassemblies 174 or other suitable devices. The illustrated cuttingassemblies 174 include rotatable knife rolls 176, rotatable vacuum anvilrolls 177, and rotatable backing rolls 178. The continuous firstfastener materials 170 can be cut by blades on the knife rolls 176,maintained on the anvil rolls 177 by vacuum, and disposed on theundersides of the strips 118 of side panel material 116.

[0125] Other arrangements can be used to attach the fastening components82-85. For example, the fastening components can be applied to the sidepanel material 116 prior to uniting the side panel material with thebodyside liner material 104 and/or the outer cover material 140; thefastening components can be applied to the bodyside liner material 104and/or outer cover material 140, whether separate side panels are usedor not; portions of other components such as the bodyside liner and/orouter cover can form one or more of the fastening components; theseparate side panels or integral side panels can themselves form one ormore of the fastening components; the fastening components can beattached as pre-engaged composites 82, 84 and 83, 85; or the like.

[0126] After the fastening components are disposed on the strips 118 ofside panel material 116, bonding devices 180 such as ultrasonic bonderscan be employed to bond the fastening components to the strips. Forexample, the strips 118 can be transported between a rotary ultrasonichorn and an anvil roll, which devices are positioned on each side of theprocess at the cross machine direction location, that is the transverselocation, of the fastening components 82, 84 and 83, 85. Particularultrasonic bond patterns comprising individual, circular bonds which arecompatible with mechanical fastening materials are disclosed in U.S.Pat. No. 5,660,666 issued Aug. 26, 1997 to Dilnik et al., which isincorporated herein by reference. Efficient arrangements for attachingthe fastening components with nonadhesive bonding devices are furtherdescribed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. unknown, filed on May 15,2001 by J. D. Coenen et al. and titled “Methods For Making Garments WithFastening Components,” which is incorporated herein by reference. Forsecure attachment, it may be desirable to attach the fasteningcomponents with both adhesive and thermal bonds. Suitable attachmentadhesives are available from commercial vendors such as FindleyAdhesive, Inc., Wauwatosa, Wis. U.S.A.

[0127] In particular embodiments, the bonding devices 180 can providetimed, non-uniform bonding of the fastening components to the side panelmaterial 116. The degree of bonding, such as the number of bonds perunit area or the bond strength per unit area, can be greater in certaintarget areas compared to non-target areas. Enhanced bonding in targetareas can be beneficial particularly near the waist and leg openings 50and 52 to reduce delamination of the fastening components from the sidepanel material 116. Thus, the bonding devices 180 can be adapted tocreate relatively more bonds or stronger bonds between the fasteningcomponents 82-85 and the side panel material 116 when the side panelmaterial 116 reaches a particular machine direction 108 location. In oneparticular embodiment, the target areas correspond to portions of thefastening components 82-85 near the waist edges 38 and 39. The bondingdevices 180 can be registered to provide a relatively higher degree ofbonding which begins while disposed on one fastening component (such as84 in FIG. 7), continues through the region where the product assemblage113 will subsequently be cut (see cut line 159 in FIG. 7), and endsafter being disposed on another fastening component (such as 82).Alternatively, the bonding devices 180 can destroy engaging elements ofthe fastening components 82-85 in the target areas, so that thefastening components will be less able to aggressively attach to oneanother in the target areas.

[0128] The strips 118 of side panel material 116 can be trimmed ifdesired, for example to provide angled and/or curved leg end edges 70 inthe back waist region 24 (FIGS. 5 and 6). To this end, the assemblysection 100 can include a die cutting roll 182 and a backing roll 184.In the illustrated embodiment, a portion of each strip 118 is trimmedfrom the trailing edge 154 (FIG. 7) in order to form the angled and/orcurved leg end edges 70 in the back waist region 24.

[0129] The method and apparatus to this point provides a continuous webof interconnected and partially assembled training pants moving in thedirection indicated by arrow 108. This continuously moving productassemblage 113 is passed through a cutter 186 which selectively cuts theweb into discrete, partially assembled training pants 102. Such cutters186 are generally known to those skilled in the art and can include, forexample, the combination of a cutting roll 187 and an anvil roll 188through which the web travels (FIG. 2). The anvil roll 188 can include ahardened steel rotating roll while the cutting roll 187 can include oneor more flexible hardened steel blades clamped onto another rotatingroll. The pinching force between the blade on the cutting roll 187 andthe anvil roll 188 creates the cut. The cutting roll 187 can have one ormore blades depending upon the desired distance between the cuts. Thecutter 186 can further be configured to provide a spacing between theindividual cut pieces after they are cut. Such a spacing can be providedby transferring the cut pieces away from the cutter at a higher speedthan the speed at which the web is provided to the cutter.

[0130] The discrete training pants 102 can then be folded at a foldingstation 200 using any suitable folding mechanism 202 (FIG. 2). Thetraining pants 102 can be folded about a fold line generally bisectingthe training pants. As such, the waist regions 22 and 24 of eachtraining pant 102 are positioned in facing relationship with the sidepanels 34 and 134 extending laterally outward relative to thelongitudinal axis 48 of the training pant. The fold line extends in alateral direction through the crotch region 26 of the training pant.Desirably, each discrete training pant 102 is consistently folded aboutthe fold line such that the front and back waist edges 38 and 39 of thetraining pant align with each other.

[0131] A variety of folding mechanisms 202 can be used, such as bladefolders, linear folders, book folders, tucker blades, or the like. Thespecific type selected for a given application may depend upon the typeof garment being manufactured and the type of fastening mechanism usedto secure the garment in a pant configuration. An embodiment of a bladefolding mechanism 202 adapted for use with garments incorporatingrefastenable fastening components 82-85 is illustrated in FIGS. 2, 8 and9. The illustrated folding mechanism 202 controls the side panels 34 and134 during folding so that the refastenable fastening components 82-85are unlikely to engage one another or engage another material during thefolding operation. Other arrangements for maintaining separation of theside panels and fastening components during folding are disclosed inU.S. patent application Ser. No. unknown, filed on May 15, 2001 by J. D.Coenen et al. and titled “Folding And Manufacture Of Pants,” which isincorporated herein by reference.

[0132] The illustrated blade folding mechanism 202 comprises a pluralityof rotating folding or tucker blades which are configured to contact thetraining pant 102 along the fold line. Rotation of the folding bladescan force the training pant 102 into a nip 204 between two rotatingfolding conveyors 206 and 208 causing the training pants to fold aboutthe fold line. The folding conveyors 206 and 208 can form part of atransport system for moving the folded training pants 102 in the machinedirection 108. The folded training pants 102 are illustrated as beingtransported in the machine direction 108 with the crotch region 26leading the waist regions 22 and 24. Alternatively, the process andapparatus could be modified so that the waist regions lead the crotchregion (not shown).

[0133] With reference to FIGS. 2, 8 and 9, the series of unfolded,discrete training pants 102 can be transferred from the vacuum anvilroll 188 of the cutter 186 to the upper folding conveyor 206. Thetraining pants 102 can be held by vacuum on the upper folding conveyor206 and transported toward the nip 204 formed between the foldingconveyors 206 and 208. While being transported toward the nip 204, theside panels 34 and 134 can be smoothed out or straightened if desired byvarious means including fluid stabilizing devices. For example, airknives 215 (FIG. 8), air bars, air nozzles or the like can be mounted inproximity to the upper folding conveyor to provide a stream of fluiddirected toward the side panels to stabilize and/or straighten the sidepanels. The air knives 215 can blow the side panels 34 and 134 againstskid plates 216 positioned transversely outward from the upper foldingconveyor belt 212. Alternatively, or in addition thereto, the upperfolding conveyor 206 can incorporate fluid stabilizing devicesconsisting of fluid manifolds operatively connected to a high pressurefluid source to fluidly shake the side panels. The fluid stabilizingdevices desirably prevent folding of the side panels 34 and 134 as thetraining pant 102 moves along the upper folding conveyor 206. Sensingdevices can also be employed at this point to detect products that havefolded side panels or that are misaligned relative to the machine centerline.

[0134] The product folding nip 204 can be formed between a timed vacuumnose roll 218 of the upper folding conveyor 206 and a timed vacuum noseroll 219 of the lower folding conveyor 208 (FIGS. 2 and 8). As theleading edge of a pant 102 is introduced onto the upper nose roll 218,compressed air can be introduced inside the nose roll to negate vacuumdraw of the nose roll. This allows the leading edge of the pant to passby the nose roll 218 without getting sucked into the nip 204.Alternatively of course, the vacuum source can be temporarilydisconnected (isolated) from the nose roll 218. Any suitable controlsystem can be used to repeatedly activate and deactivate vacuumoperation of the nose rolls 218 and 219. In particular embodiments,rotary valves can be employed to cycle vacuum to the nose rolls 218 and219.

[0135] A product control drum 220 can guide the leading half of thetraining pant 102 onto a transfer plate 222 (FIGS. 2 and 8), which mayor may not be curved. The product control drum 220 can comprise aplurality of vacuum pucks 224 which rotate in the direction of arrow225. The illustrated product control drum 220 includes four vacuum pucks224 to guide four training pants 102 per revolution. Rotation of theproduct control drum 220 can be timed so that a vacuum puck 224 grabsthe leading half of a training pant 102 and transfers the leading edgeonto the transfer plate 222. The absorbent chassis 32 and/or side panels134 of the leading half can be carried on a vacuum puck 224 past thenose roll 219 of the lower folding conveyor 208. Compressed air can beintroduced inside this lower nose roll 219 at this point to negatevacuum draw and permit the entire leading edge and side panels 134 totransfer onto the transfer plate 222. Alternatively of course, thevacuum source can be temporarily disconnected (isolated) from the noseroll 219.

[0136] With reference to FIG. 9, the folding mechanism 202 can comprisea pair of opposed tucker blades 240 that move in an orbital manner topass through the vertical path of the training pant 102. The tuckerblades 240 can contact the crotch region 26 of the pant 102 and insertthe crotch region into the folding nip 204. As this happens, the leadinghalf of the pant 102 reverses direction over the transfer plate 222 andis pulled into the nip 204. The vacuum puck 224 can cease drawing vacuumat this point to release the leading half. Correspondingly, the trailinghalf of the pant 102 is pulled around the upper nose roll 218. Thus,both halves of the training pant 102 can change from motion in agenerally vertical plane to motion between the folding conveyors 206 and208 in a generally horizontal plane.

[0137] The illustrated folding mechanism 202 can maintain separationbetween the front and back side panels 34 and 134. As the pant 102enters the folding nip 204, compressed air can be shut off to the uppernose roll 218 so that the side panels 34 of the trailing half are drawnby vacuum to the upper nose roll. The trailing side panels 34 are thusdrawn to the upper nose roll 218 and follow its rotation around the rolland over a side panel separation plates 230 (FIGS. 8 and 10). Similarly,as the leading half of the pant 102 is pulled into the folding nip 204,compressed air can be shut off to the lower nose roll 219 so that theside panels 134 of the leading half are drawn by vacuum to the lowernose roll. The leading side panels 134 are thus drawn to the lower noseroll 219 and follow its rotation around the roll and beneath the sidepanel separation plates 230.

[0138]FIG. 10 illustrates a portion of a partially assembled trainingpant 102 positioned between the upper and lower folding conveyors 206and 208 at a location downstream of the nose rolls 218 and 219. At thispoint, the training pant 102 has been folded in half and is beingtransported in the machine direction 108 by the conveyors 206 and 208.The illustrated folding mechanism 202 can thus maintain the front sidepanels 34 separated from the back side panels 134 during folding.

[0139] Each folding conveyor 206 and 208 as illustrated in greaterdetail in FIG. 10 can comprise a frame structure 210, a plurality ofrotatable pulleys 211 associated with the frame structure, and acontinuous belt 212 carried on the pulleys. A drive system and conveyorshaft (not shown) can be used to rotatively drive one or more of thepulleys. The folding conveyors 206 and 208 can comprise vacuum conveyorsas are well known in the art, in which case the continuous belt 212 canbe formed of a fluid permeable material, such as one having holes. Thefolding conveyors desirably transport the training pants 102 with thelongitudinal center line of the training pants traveling on thelongitudinal center line of the conveyors. As depicted, the front andback side panels 34 and 134 can project laterally outward from the framestructure 210, outstretched in the cross-machine direction.

[0140] While traveling on the folding conveyors 206 and 208, the sidepanels 34 and 134 can be smoothed out or straightened if desired byvarious means including fluid stabilizing devices (not shown in FIG.10). Suitable fluid stabilizing devices can comprise air knives, airbars, air nozzles, vacuum nozzles or the like to provide a stream offluid directed toward or away from the side panels. The fluidstabilizing devices can be incorporated within either or both of thefolding conveyors 206 and 208 or can comprise separate devicespositioned in proximity to the conveyors. Other suitable mechanisms forsmoothing and straightening the side panels 34 and 134 are disclosed inU.S. Pat. No. 5,046,272 issued Sep. 10, 1991 to Vogt et al., which isincorporated herein by reference. The terms “air” and “fluid” are usedinterchangeably herein to refer to any gaseous substance, for example,air at ambient temperature. Where the specific application permits, theterm “fluid” also includes any liquid medium.

[0141] As a result of the illustrated folding mechanism 202, the frontwaist region 22 and front side panel 34 of the partially assembledtraining pant 102 are disposed above the back waist region 24 and backside panel 134. The first fastening component 83 is disposed on theinner surface 28 of the back waist region 24 and the second fasteningcomponent 85 is disposed on the outer surface 30 of the front waistregion 22. In the illustrated embodiment, the transverse linear distancebetween the first fastening components 82 and 83 is the same as thetransverse linear distance between the second fastening components 84and 85. The orientation and/or type of the side panels and the fasteningcomponents can of course be varied from that illustrated.

[0142] The separation plates 230 can extend in the machine direction 108to maintain separation between the front and back side panels 34 and134. The separation plates 230 can comprise a low friction material orcoating, such as: stainless steel; teflon; aluminum; ultra-highmolecular weight polyethylene (UHMW-PE); polyoxymethylene (acetals), forinstance a homopolymer available from E. I. Du Pont de Nemours andCompany, Wilmington, Del. USA under the tradename DELRIN; or the like.In particular embodiments, the separation plates 230 can comprise a thinlayer of teflon, UHMW-PE, DELRIN or the like glued to a plate formed ofsteel, aluminum or the like. The separation plates can be mounted usingsuitable support members 232 (FIG. 10) to either the folding conveyors206 or 208 or other suitable frame structures (not shown).

[0143] From the folding station 200, the continuous stream of discrete,partially assembled and folded training pants 102 enters a seamingsection 250, an embodiment of which is shown in FIG. 3. The seamingsection 250 can encompass processes and apparatus for controlling theunattached side panels 34 and 134, inverting the fastening components onone pair of side panels, guiding the opposite fastening components intocross-machine direction position with the inverted fastening components,and bonding the fastening components together to form a lap seam. Ingeneral, the process and apparatus bend or fold the front or back sidepanels 34 or 134 approximately 180 degrees using an air flow, solidmember, or other suitable device. Additionally, side panel transferdevices 330 can move laterally outward portions of the opposite sidepanels toward the machine center line so that the fastening componentson the opposite side panels are positioned in a correspondingcross-machine direction location as the inverted fastening components.The fastening components can then be brought into contact with oneanother. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, the side panels arerefastenably bonded together using mating mechanical fasteningcomponents 82-85, although other fastening mechanisms can also be used.The seaming section 250 can thus convert the partially assembled andfolded training pants 102 into prefastened training pants 20 each havinga waist opening 50 and a pair of leg openings 52 (FIG. 4). Theillustrated seaming section 250 could of course be inverted so that thelower side panel forms the inner side panel of the lap seam (not shown).From the seaming section 250, the training pants 20 can be processedthrough various finishing stations 254, for operations such as sidepanel tucking, packaging, or the like.

[0144] The partially assembled training pants 102 can be transported inthe machine direction 108 through the seaming section 250 by a transportsystem, such as conveyors. In the illustrated embodiment, the trainingpants 102 are transferred from the upper and lower folding conveyors 206and 208 (FIGS. 2 and 8-10) to upper and lower alignment conveyors 256and 258 (FIGS. 3 and 11-18). As illustrated, the upper alignmentconveyor 256 can comprise a frame structure 260, one or more vacuumchambers 262 defined within the frame structure, one or more vacuumcover plates 264 mounted on the frame structure and one or morecontinuous fluid-permeable belts 266 carried on a plurality of rotatablepulleys 268 (FIGS. 3, 11 and 15) or other suitable devices. Similarly,the lower alignment conveyor 258 can comprise a frame structure 270, avacuum chamber 272 defined within the frame structure, a vacuum coverplate 274 mounted on the frame structure and a continuousfluid-permeable belt 276 carried on a plurality of rotatable pulleys 278(FIGS. 3, 11 and 15) or other suitable devices. The vacuum cover plates264 and 274 and related equipment can be adjustable if desired toaccommodate various product sizes. A drive system and conveyor shaft(not shown) can be used to rotatively drive one or more of the pulleys268 and 278. The vacuum chambers 262 and 272 can be operativelyconnected to a source of vacuum (not shown) and the vacuum cover plates264 and 274 can be provided with a plurality of holes 269 and 279,respectively. Suitable conveyor mechanisms such as vacuum conveyors ornon-vacuum conveyors are available from various commercial vendors. Thetransport system can comprise any means to convey the folded products.

[0145] Formation of the side panel lap seam will be described in greaterdetail with reference to FIGS. 11-20. FIGS. 11 and 15 show enlarged sideviews of portions of the seaming section 250. FIGS. 12-14 and 16-18illustrate section views of a portion of a training pant 102 positionedwithin the seaming section 250 at a series of continually advancingpositions. In the illustrated embodiment, the front side panels 34carrying the second fastening components 84 and 85 (85 shown) form theinterior side panel of the lap seam, and the back side panels 134carrying the first fastening components 82 and 83 (83 shown) form theexterior side panel of the lap seam. The description will focus on theformation of a lap seam and bonding the side panels 34 and 134 togetheron one side of the training pant 102, although it should be recognizedthat a lap seam can be formed on the other side of the training pant ina similar manner. The refastenable seams 88 can be formed simultaneouslyor sequentially on the right and left sides of the pant 102.

[0146] For purposes of the present invention, the first fasteningcomponents 82 and 83 will be referred to as the initially inward-facingfasteners 82 and 83 because they are positioned between thecorresponding left or right side panels when the product is folded inhalf but prior to formation of the lap seam, and the second fasteningcomponents 84 and 85 will also be referred to herein as the initiallyoutward-facing fasteners 84 and 85 because they are on a surface of aside panel that faces away from the other side panel when the product isfolded in half but prior to formation of the lap seam. In an alternativeembodiment, the training pant 102 could be processed through the seamingsection 250 in an inside-out arrangement, in which case the firstfastening components 82 and 83 would be considered the initiallyoutward-facing fasteners and the second fastening components 84 and 85would be considered the initially inward-facing fasteners (not shown).

[0147]FIG. 12 illustrates the training pant 102, positioned between theupper and lower alignment conveyors 256 and 258 at a location downstreamof the location illustrated in FIG. 10. As shown in FIG. 12, theinitially outward-facing fasteners 84 and 85 face the upper alignmentconveyor 256. The upper alignment conveyor 256, as illustrated, can havean operative width that is narrower than the full product width. Morespecifically, the outermost holes 269 of the upper vacuum cover plate264 can be positioned at locations which corresponds in the crossmachine direction with portions of the side panels 34 that are slightlyinward from the initially outward-facing fasteners 84 and 85.Alternatively, at least at the machine direction location depicted inFIGS. 12 and 13, the upper alignment conveyor 256 could comprise a fullwidth vacuum conveyor, wherein the full width of the waist region of thetraining pant 102 can be held by vacuum against the upper conveyor belt266. The upper alignment conveyor 256 can operate over a range ofvacuum, for example, a vacuum of about 2 inches of water or greaterbelow atmospheric pressure.

[0148] The lower alignment conveyor 258 can be relatively narrowcompared to the upper alignment conveyor 256 and can have a width, forexample, equal to the width of the absorbent chassis 32, which permitsthe back side panels 134 to extend laterally beyond the lower alignmentconveyor. In one particular embodiment, the width of the lower alignmentconveyor 258 generally corresponds to the distance between the seams 66(FIGS. 5-6) which bond the side panels 34 and 134 to the absorbentchassis 32. The level of vacuum is preferably sufficient to maintain thewaist regions 22 and 24 on their respective alignment conveyors, as thewaist regions may not be pinched between the conveyors. Vacuum controlof the waist regions will improve positioning and alignment of the sidepanels 34 and 134. The lower alignment conveyor 258 can operate over arange of vacuum, for example, a vacuum of about 2 to about 8 inches ofwater or greater below atmospheric pressure.

[0149] At the location illustrated in FIG. 12, the back side panels 134are disposed laterally outward from the lower alignment conveyor 258.The initially inward-facing fasteners 82 and 83 (83 shown) are disposedon the back side panels 134 facing the front side panels 34. The backside panels 134 can be smoothed out or straightened in the seamingsection 250 if desired by various means including fluid stabilizingdevices. In the illustrated embodiment, the back side panels 134 can beoutstretched in the cross machine direction and held in that position byside panel transfer devices 330.

[0150]FIG. 13 illustrates the training pant 102, between the upper andlower alignment conveyors 256 and 258 at a location downstream of thelocation illustrated in FIG. 12. The back waist region 24 can continueto be transported in the machine direction 108 by the lower alignmentconveyor 258 with the back side panels 134 being held and transported inthe machine direction by the side panel transfer devices 330. At thispoint in the seaming section 250, folding guides 267 can be introducedand the conveyors 256 and 258 can be spaced apart a sufficient distanceto permit 180 degree inward folding of the initially outward-facingfasteners 84 and 85 (85 shown). The gap between the conveyors 256 and258 may depend upon the size of the initially outwardly-facing fasteners84 and 85, and can be, for example, about 2 centimeters. The distancebetween the alignment conveyors 256 and 258 can be constant or can varyover the machine direction length of the conveyors.

[0151] At the machine direction locations illustrated in FIGS. 13 and14, the upper alignment conveyor 256 can have an operative vacuum widththat is less than the full width of the training pant 102 in the frontwaist region 22, and less than or equal to the distance between theinitially outward-facing fasteners 84 and 85. At these locations, thelaterally outward portions of the front side panels 34 that include theinitially outward-facing fasteners 84 and 85 are not held by vacuum tothe upper alignment conveyor. The width of vacuum drawn by the upperalignment conveyor 256 can be modified to accommodate different sizeproducts. The width of the upper alignment conveyor 256 can be adjustedby various means, including varying the pattern of holes 269 in thevacuum cover plate 264 or utilizing multiple independent vacuum chambers(not shown).

[0152] The upper alignment conveyor 256 can provide a uniform ornonuniform vacuum profile in the cross machine direction. In particularembodiments, the upper alignment conveyor 256 can draw a nonuniformvacuum in the cross-machine direction. Specifically, the upper alignmentconveyor 256 can draw a concentrated vacuum at laterally outward regionsas well as some area of vacuum in a central region disposed between thelaterally outward regions. The laterally outward regions can bepositioned such that they correspond to locations of the front sidepanels 34 immediately laterally inward from the locations of theinitially outward-facing fasteners 84 and 85. The concentrated vacuumadjacent the inside edge of the initially outward-facing fasteners 84and 85 can encourage the inside edge of the fasteners 84 and 85 tofunction as a hinge point for folding. The concentrated vacuum can beformed by a plurality of slots or an increase in the number of aperturesin the vacuum cover plate 264, by separate vacuum chambers, or the like.The focused vacuum in the central region can reduce energy consumptionand lessen draw of the back side panels 134 toward the upper alignmentconveyor 256.

[0153] At the machine direction location illustrated in FIG. 14, eachfolding guide 267 can narrow to a finger to form a guide for aconsistent fold. Thus each folding guide 267 can have a relatively widerportion at the upstream end an a relatively narrower finger extendingdownstream from the wider portion in a cantilevered configuration. Thefingers can act as a hinge point for folding.

[0154] In the orientation illustrated in FIG. 14, the laterally outwardportions of the front side panel 34, including the initiallyoutward-facing fasteners 84 and 85, tend to drop from gravity away fromthe upper alignment conveyor 256. Nonetheless, a mechanical or fluidassist or other panel folding device 320 can be used to inwardly foldthe laterally outward portions of the front side panels 34, includingthe initially outward-facing fasteners 84 and 85, through approximately180 degrees. Panel folding devices 320 can also be employed inalternative product orientations, for example, where the initiallyoutwardly-facing fasteners are facing downward (not shown) and foldingmust overcome gravity. In either case, the panel folding devices 320 canassist or can inwardly fold the front side panels 34 onto themselvessuch that the initially outward-facing fasteners 84 and 85 are facingthe opposite side panels 134 and opposite waist region 24. As noted bycomparing FIGS. 12 and 16, inward folding of the side panels 34 cancause the initially outward-facing fasteners 84 and 85 (85 shown) tomove laterally inward and be positioned closer to the training pantlongitudinal center line and the machine center line.

[0155] The panel folding device 320 can comprise, for example, one ormore air nozzles (FIG. 14) to blow the laterally outward portions of thefront side panels 34, including the initially outward-facing fasteners84 and 85, to a horizontal orientation directed toward the center lineof the upper alignment conveyor 256. The panel folding device 320 canoperate on a continuous or timed intermittent basis, and canprogressively fold the side panels 34 or fold the side panels as asingle unit. The panel folding device 320 can alternatively compriseother mechanisms for creating a suitable force to fold or assist to foldthe front side panels 34. The panel folding device 320 can alternativelycomprise, for example, folding boards or skis which fold the top panelover 180 degrees; a helical surface that pushes the front side panelsinto the folded configuration; or the like. Once folded inward, the sidepanels 34 can continue to travel in the machine direction 108 in contactwith the folding guides 267. Alternatively, the folding guides 267 canend and the laterally outward portions of the side panels may be drawntoward the upper alignment conveyor 256 by vacuum operating through thefolded side panels. In such embodiments, the front side panels 34 willbe held by vacuum in a folded configuration.

[0156] Use of the terms “vertical” and “horizontal” and variationsthereof have their usual meaning, however, the present inventioncontemplates that vertical surfaces can be “generally vertically”disposed if desired and would thus be oriented between the true verticalposition and about a 45 degree position relative to the true verticalposition. The same interpretation for “generally horizontally” disposedmeans an orientation between the true horizontal and about a 45 degreeposition relative thereto. The terms “upper” and “lower” are providedfor ease of understanding, and it should be recognized that the spatialarrangement of the elements being described could be inverted orarranged in another manner.

[0157] As the training pants 102 move in the machine direction 108, theback side panels 134 can be transferred to side panel transfer devices330 (FIGS. 3 and 11-20). As depicted in FIGS. 16-18, the side paneltransfer devices 330 can elevate the laterally outer portions of theback side panels 134, including the initially inward-facing fasteners 82and 83 (83 shown), relative to the lower alignment conveyor 258. Morespecifically, the alignment conveyors 256 and 258 define therebetween ata specific machine direction location a pant transport plane in whichthe training pants 102 are carried. The side panel transfer devices 330carry the side panels on a side panel transport path which is angledwith respect to the pant transport plane at such specific machinedirection location, so that the pant transport plane and the side paneltransport path intersect one another. Consequently, the side paneltransfer devices 330 move portions of the back side panels 134 in a“z-direction” perpendicular to the pant transport plane. In doing so,the initially inward-facing fasteners 82 and 83 can move laterallyinward toward the center line of the lower alignment conveyor 258 andtoward the longitudinal center line of the training pants 102. Withfurther elevation, the side panel transfer devices 330 can also form anip with the upper alignment conveyor 256 to engage the fasteningcomponents 82-85 (see FIG. 18).

[0158] As illustrated, the side panel transfer devices 330 can comprisevacuum conveyors which elevate the bottom side panel 134 toward theupper alignment conveyor 256. For purposes of the present invention, theside panel transfer devices 330 are said to be angled toward the panttransport plane at downstream machine direction locations, when the sidepanel transport path advances closer to the operative surface of atleast one alignment conveyor at further downstream positions. The sidepanel transfer devices 330 can comprise, for example, frame structures332, a plurality of rotatable pulleys 334 (FIGS. 11 and 15) associatedwith the frame structures, vacuum chambers 336 defined within the framestructures, vacuum cover plates 338 mounted on the frame structures, andcontinuous belts 340 carried on the pulleys. A drive mechanism andconveyor shaft (not shown) can be used to rotatively drive one or moreof the pulleys 334. The side panel transfer devices 330 can be alignedparallel to the machine direction of the lower alignment conveyor 258 orcan be canted inward or outward, for example, to improve side panelalignment with the machine direction.

[0159]FIGS. 19 and 20 isometrically and schematically illustrate a backside panel 134 at a sequence of positions on a side panel transferdevice 330. The positions are labeled 134-A, 134-B and 134-C in FIG. 20in order of advancement in the machine direction 108. With the loweralignment conveyor 258 holding the central portion of the training pant102 and, in particular the absorbent chassis 32, against the conveyorbelt 276 (not shown in FIGS. 19 or 20), the laterally outward portionsof the back side panel 134 advance transversely inward as the back sidepanel 134 is elevated from the plane of the lower alignment conveyor 258by the upwardly inclined side panel transfer device 330. In effect, theback side panel 134 can be allowed to gradually slip partly off theinward edge 342 of the side panel transfer device 330, desirably to thepoint where the position of the initially inward-facing fastener 83 isaligned in the cross-machine direction with its corresponding initiallyoutward-facing fastener 85 (see FIG. 18). Because relative movement ofthe back side panels 134 and the lower alignment conveyor 258 generatestransversely inward movement of the initially inwardly-directedfasteners 82 and 83, the back side panels 134 could alternatively bemaintained at a constant horizontal position on the side panel transferdevices 330 while the lower alignment conveyor 258 is angled away fromthe side panel transfer devices.

[0160] In particular embodiments, the lower alignment conveyor 258 canmaintain the full width of the absorbent chassis 32 in contact with theconveyor belt. Maintaining the full width of the absorbent chassis 32 onthe conveyor belt can prevent skewing of the back side panels 134 asthey are lifted and can provide maximum inward movement of the fasteners82 and 83 for a given amount of vertical lift. Tucking guides 277 can beintroduced if needed to assist in holding the back side panels 134.Tucking guides 277 can be particularly useful with embodiments where thelower alignment conveyor 258 provides less than full width vacuum. Withreference to FIGS. 16, 17 and 19, the illustrated tucking guides 277 aremounted on the side panel transfer devices 330 and define cantileveredarms 280. As best seen by comparing FIGS. 16 and 17, the arms 280 can bemounted at an angle relative to the side panel transport path defined bythe side panel transfer devices 330. The arms 280 can be mountedparallel to the pant transport plane, such that the arms can maintainthe position of interior portions of the back side panels 134 as theside panel transfer devices 330 lift exterior portions of the back sidepanels. The arms 280 can extend further downstream, for example to orpast the point of engagement of the fastening components (FIG. 18), ifdesired.

[0161] The amount of z-direction movement and cross-machine directionmovement of portions of the side panels will depend on several factors,including relative width and positioning of the side panels, the size ofthe fastening components, the spacing between the side panel transferdevices 330 and the alignment conveyors, the width of vacuum on thealignment conveyors, the location of side panel folding if employed, theuse of tucking guides 277, and the like. By way of illustration, theinitially inward-facing fastener 83-84 in one embodiment can be elevatedapproximately 50 millimeters from the plane of the lower alignmentconveyor 258 to provide approximately 20 millimeters of inward movementtoward the longitudinal center line of the training pant 102.

[0162] Again with reference to FIG. 18, toward the downstream end of theside panel transfer devices 330, the initially inward-facing fasteners82 and 83 (83 shown) can be moved transversely inward to a positionwhich corresponds to the cross-machine position of the initiallyoutward-facing fastener 84 and 85 (85 shown). Additionally, theinitially inward-facing fasteners 82 and 83 can be lifted into closeproximity and desirably into engagement with the initiallyoutward-facing fasteners 84 and 85. The spacing between the downstreamends of the side panel transfer devices 330 and the upper alignmentconveyor 256 can be adjusted to control the level of engagement betweenthe fasteners 82-85. In particular, downstream rolls 334 (FIG. 15) ofthe side panel transfer devices 330 can be positioned to nip thefasteners together. The illustrated side panel transfer devices 330 canprovide progressive inward motion on the full width of the bottom sidepanels 134 and progressive attachment in the machine direction of thefastening components 82-85.

[0163] The side panel transfer devices 330 can be positioned at the samemachine direction 108 location in the seaming section 250.Alternatively, the side panel transfer devices 330 can be staggered inthe machine direction 108 to allow for cross-machine directionmovement-control devices or operations used in combination with a singleside panel transfer device. The cross-machine direction movement-controldevices or operations can comprise any suitable devices or operationswhich maintain cross-machine direction control of the training pant 102during operation of the side panel transfer device.

[0164] An alternative embodiment of the method and apparatus for makinga training pant 102 are illustrated in FIGS. 21-24. First and secondfastening components 400 and 401 are disposed on respective first andsecond integral side panels 402 and 403. The first fastening component400 comprises a distal region of the first side panel 402 which isengageable with the second fastening component 401. The second fasteningcomponent 401 as illustrated was previously inverted and can be held inplace by the upper alignment conveyor 256. As the training pant 102 istransported in the machine direction, the first side panel 402 can bepositioned on and can slide over a guide plate 406, which is curved inthe machine direction and formed of a suitable low friction material.

[0165]FIG. 22 illustrates the training pant 102 between the upper andlower conveyors 256 and 258 at a location downstream of the locationillustrated in FIG. 21. The first side panel 402 is caused to remain inclose proximity to or contact with the curved guide plate 406. Tuckingguides, air nozzles, or other suitable devices (not shown) can be usedto assist in holding the first side panel 402 against the guide plate406. For example, an air bar (not shown) can be disposed between theconveyors 256 and 258 from the position illustrated in FIG. 21 throughthe position illustrated in FIG. 23 to direct air toward the first sidepanel 402.

[0166] With the lower alignment conveyor 258 holding the central portionof the training pant 102 against the conveyor belt 276, the laterallyoutward portions of the first side panel 402 advance transversely inwardas the first side panel 400 is shaped on the curved guide plate 406. Inparticular embodiments, the curvature of the guide plate 406 can bedetermined so that the first fastening component 400 is inwardlyrepositioned to the point where the first fastening component is alignedin the cross-machine direction with its corresponding second fasteningcomponent 401. The fastening components 400 and 401 are shown aligned inthe cross-machine direction in FIG. 23.

[0167] As further depicted in FIG. 23, the first side panel 402 can betransitioned from the curved guide plate 406 onto a side panel transferdevice 330. The side panel transfer device 330 can be constructed in thesame manner as previously described and thus is not shown in detail.With additional reference to FIG. 24, the side panel transfer device 330can elevate the laterally outer portions of the first side panel 402toward the second side panel 404. In particular, the side panel transferdevice 330 can define a side panel transport path which is angled withrespect to the pant transport plane, so that the first fasteningcomponent 400 can be transported in the z-direction into proximity to orengagement with the second fastening component 401. Tucking guides (seeFIG. 19) can be disposed between the conveyors and in contact with thefirst side panel 402 from the position illustrated in FIG. 23 throughthe position illustrated in FIG. 24. Because the desired cross-machinedirection position of the first fastening component 400 had previouslybeen established (FIGS. 21-23), the first side panel 402 can bemaintained at a constant cross-machine direction position while the pant102 is transported in the machine direction and the side panel resideson the side panel transfer device 330.

[0168] The side panel transfer devices 330 can alternatively compriseother devices for sequentially or simultaneously affecting upward andinward relative movement of the laterally outward portions of the backside panel 134 and the initially inward-facing fasteners 82 and 83disposed thereon. By way of illustration, suitable side panel transferdevices 330 can alternatively comprise disks or wheels, either alignedin the machine direction 108 or canted and/or tilted relative thereto sothat the disks or wheels raise the side panels and nip the fastenerstogether. Suitable wheel devices can, but need not, be timed ellipticalwheels, and can comprise vacuum or traction surface wheels or the like.Still alternatively, the side panel transfer devices 330 can comprise4-bar linkage mechanisms carrying a panel engagement head which contactsthe back side panel 134 to raise the panel relative to the plane of thelower alignment conveyor 258. The rotary motion provided by the 4-barlinkage can allow the panel engagement head to raise a back side panel134 relative to the lower alignment conveyor 258, with the back sidepanel being allowed to slip off the inward edge of the panel engagementhead. A drive mechanism for the 4-bar linkage can be programmed to varythe angular velocity of the panel-engagement head such that its velocityin the machine direction 108 matches the speed of the back side panel134 while the panel-engagement head is in contact with the back sidepanel. Alternatively, the angular velocity of the panel-engagement headcan be matched with the velocity of the side panel using a cam gearbox,non-circular gearing, or the like. Such devices could further comprise afeedback system to register the panel-engagement head to the back sidepanel 134. In yet another alternative embodiment, the side paneltransfer devices 330 can comprise folding boards or folding skis toprovide sequential or simultaneous inward and upward relative movementof the laterally outward portions of the back side panels 134 and theinwardly directed fasteners 82 and 83.

[0169] In the illustrated process, the initially outward-facingfasteners 84 and 85 are directed upward against an upper alignmentconveyor 256. Alternatively, the process could be inverted such that theinitially outward-facing fasteners 84 and 85 are directed downwardagainst a lower fastener conveyor or surface (not shown). As mentionedabove, the laterally outward portions of the side panels which carry theinitially outward-facing fasteners may need mechanical or fluid assistto initiate inward folding. Additionally, other changes, as will readilybe apparent to those skilled in the art, may be required, such aschanges to the width of the conveyors, orientation of fluid devices, andinsertion of skid plates to maintain the position of side panels.

[0170] Thus, the methods and apparatus disclosed herein can provideprecise lap seams at high-speeds in garments such as training pants 20.From folded products having side panels with both initiallyoutward-facing fasteners and initially inward-facing fasteners, the sidepanels can be separated to provide clearance for inward folding of onepair of side panels, the side panels with the initially outward-facingfasteners can be inwardly folded 180 degrees, and the initiallyinward-facing fasteners can be moved transversely inward to the positionof the previously folded, initially outward-facing fasteners. It will beappreciated that details of the foregoing embodiments, given forpurposes of illustration, are not to be construed as limiting the scopeof this invention. Although only a few exemplary embodiments of thisinvention have been described in detail above, those skilled in the artwill readily appreciate that many modifications are possible in theexemplary embodiments without materially departing from the novelteachings and advantages of this invention. For example, featuresdescribed in relation to one embodiment may be incorporated into anyother embodiment of the invention. Accordingly, all such modificationsare intended to be included within the scope of this invention, which isdefined in the following claims and all equivalents thereto. Further, itis recognized that many embodiments may be conceived that do not achieveall of the advantages of some embodiments, particularly of the preferredembodiments, yet the absence of a particular advantage shall not beconstrued to necessarily mean that such an embodiment is outside thescope of the present invention.

We claim:
 1. A method for positioning side panels during manufacture ofa pant, comprising: transporting a pant in a machine direction thusdefining a pant transport plane and a z-direction perpendicular to thepant transport plane, the pant comprising at least one waist regioncomprising opposite side panels; and positioning the side panels on sidepanel transfer devices, each side panel transfer device defining a sidepanel transport path which intersects the pant transport plane; wherebythe side panels move in the z-direction while the pant is transported inthe machine direction and the side panels reside on the side paneltransfer devices.
 2. The method of claim 1, further comprising allowingat least portions of the side panels to move inwardly toward a machinecenter line while the pant is transported in the machine direction andthe side panels reside on the side panel transfer devices.
 3. The methodof claim 1, further comprising maintaining the side panels at a constantcross-machine direction position while the pant is transported in themachine direction and the side panels reside on the side panel transferdevices.
 4. A method for making a prefastened and refastenable pant,comprising: transporting a folded pant in a machine direction, thefolded pant having opposite first and second waist regions in facingrelation, the first waist region comprising first side panels and thesecond waist region comprising second side panels, the first side panelscomprising initially inward-facing fastening components, and the secondside panels comprising initially outward-facing fastening components;inverting the initially outward-facing fastening components;transporting the first side panels on side panel transfer devices whilethe folded pant is transported in the machine direction; moving theinitially inward-facing fastening components toward the invertedinitially outward-facing fastening components while the first sidepanels are transported on the side panel transfer devices; and engagingthe initially inward-facing and initially outward-facing fasteningcomponents.
 5. The method of claim 4, wherein transporting the foldedpant in the machine direction defines a pant transport plane and eachside panel transfer device defines a side panel transport path whichintersects the pant transport plane.
 6. The method of claim 4, furthercomprising allowing at least portions of the first side panels to moveinwardly toward a machine center line while the folded pant istransported in the machine direction and the first side panels reside onthe side panel transfer devices.
 7. The method of claim 4, furthercomprising maintaining the first side panels at a constant cross-machinedirection position while the folded pant is transported in the machinedirection and the first side panels reside on the side panel transferdevices.
 8. The method of claim 4, wherein the initially inward-facingfastening components are separated from one another by an initialdistance and the initially outward-facing fastening components areseparated from one another by substantially the same initial distance.9. The method of claim 4, wherein inverting the initially outward-facingfastening components comprises drawing a concentrated vacuum on thesecond side panels immediately laterally inward from the initiallyoutward-facing fastening components.
 10. The method of claim 4, whereininverting the initially outward-facing fastening components comprisesfolding the second side panels against folding guides.
 11. A method formaking a pant, comprising: providing a pant chassis defining a firstwaist region, a second waist region, a crotch region which extendsbetween and interconnects the waist regions, first side panels disposedin the first waist region and second side panels disposed in the secondwaist region; folding the pant chassis about a fold line extending in alateral direction through the crotch region, thereby positioning thewaist regions and first and second side panels in a facing relation;transporting the folded pant chassis in a machine direction thusdefining a pant transport plane and a z-direction perpendicular to thepant transport plane; transporting the first side panels on side paneltransfer devices while the folded pant chassis is transported in themachine direction, each side panel transfer device defining a side paneltransport path which intersects the pant transport plane; moving thefirst side panels in the z-direction toward the second side panels whilethe first side panels are transported on the side panel transferdevices; and refastenably engaging the first and second side panels. 12.The method of claim 11, further comprising allowing at least portions ofthe first side panels to move inwardly toward a machine center linewhile the folded pant is transported in the machine direction and thefirst side panels reside on the side panel transfer devices.
 13. Themethod of claim 12, wherein the portions of the first side panels aremoved inwardly such that fastening components disposed on the first sidepanels are aligned in a cross machine direction with fasteningcomponents disposed on the second side panels.
 14. The method of claim11, further comprising advancing laterally outward portions of the firstside panels transversely inward, and then maintaining the first sidepanels at a constant cross-machine direction position while the foldedpant is transported in the machine direction and the first side panelsreside on the side panel transfer devices.
 15. The method of claim 11,wherein the first and second waist regions have substantially the sametransverse width dimension.
 16. The method of claim 11, furthercomprising folding the second side panels prior to refastenably engagingthe first and second side panels.
 17. The method of claim 16, whereinfastening components are disposed on the second side panels and areinverted by folding the second side panels.
 18. The method of claim 11,wherein the second side panels comprise initially outward-facingfastening components and the second side panels are inwardly folded suchthat the initially outward-facing fastening components are facing thefirst side panels.
 19. An apparatus, comprising: first and secondconveyors adapted to transport a stream of discrete, partially assembledand folded pants sandwiched between the conveyors in a machinedirection, the conveyors defining a machine center line and a panttransport plane; and side panel transfer devices transversely outwardfrom the machine center line, each side panel transfer device defining aside panel transport path which intersects the pant transport plane. 20.The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the side panel transfer devices areangled toward the pant transport plane at downstream machine directionlocations.
 21. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the side paneltransfer devices are angled away from the pant transport plane atdownstream machine direction locations.
 22. The apparatus of claim 19,wherein the side panel transfer devices and one of the first and secondconveyors come together to define a nip therebetween.
 23. The apparatusof claim 19, further comprising folding guides disposed transverselyoutward from the machine center line and in close proximity to the firstconveyor, wherein the side panel transfer devices are transverselyoutward from the second conveyor.
 24. The apparatus of claim 23, furthercomprising panel folding devices in close proximity to the foldingguides.
 25. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the side panel transferdevices comprise vacuum conveyors.
 26. The apparatus of claim 19,wherein the side panel transfer devices are aligned in the machinedirection parallel to the machine center line.
 27. The apparatus ofclaim 19, wherein the side panel transfer devices are canted inward oroutward with respect to the machine center line.
 28. The apparatus ofclaim 19, further comprising tucking guides disposed between one of theconveyors and the side panel transfer devices.
 29. The apparatus ofclaim 19, wherein the first conveyor is relatively wider than the secondconveyor, and the side panel transfer devices are disposed transverselyoutward from the second conveyor.